Welcome To Reality
by Silver Sparklze
Summary: Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were. (Sequel to TTY) {FINISHED}
1. Prologue: Another Dream

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Another Dream

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **_bold_** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated. This chapter is dedicated to _Sage: The Dark Dryad_ for inspiring me, and helping me write better stories.

Serena sighed and crawled into bed. She really didn't want to go to sleep. Every night for two years now she'd had the same dream. Over and over she saw the Moon Princess die. It was like her thirteenth year had never happened. Dreams of another's life had been replaced by nightmares of the destruction of a kingdom.** ((Must thank the inspirer of this story, Sage: The Dark Dryad for this particular line, as she told me how I could fix what I originally had. She's brilliant.))**

~Dream Sequence, Selene's Castle ~

_She was in a nothing-place, a place outside of Time. A grey mist surrounded her as she walked, and she couldn't see an inch in front of her face. She looked down and saw that she was wearing a plain white dress with puffed sleeves and a flowing skirt, like Princess Serenity's but without the golden embroidery. The mist swirled around her, seeming to whisper. It pushed her towards a long stone slab, upon which lay a man that Serena knew well._

_"Darien?" She whispered._

_'Endymion.' The mist seemed to sigh, and Serena fancied that fingers formed and caressed the side of the man's face. 'Endymionlove.' The mist pushed Serena on further, and she found herself in front of a mirror that seemed to grow out of the very ground she walked on. Made of grey polished stone, its silver surface reflected nothing but her. Serena saw that there were words on the outside; in no language she could understand._

**_ß_****_eho_****_òĺ! Miron brĩnght-siļř Selene,_**

**_Werse she misğht seąv hur love 'fėre nid._**

**_Swëít Endymion love wôis she dear hon,_**

**_Moert por Man she _****_misğht nai ner sathn,_**

**_Bưt rof inst nid acht cysc o' hur Moon._**

**_Wēnş she gaż in hur miron,_**

**_"Bein patint Love, Un shatrn thaihn soin be."_**

_Serena touched the words, wishing she knew what they meant. Suddenly, they rearranged themselves.___

**_Behold! Selene's mirror silver-bright,_**

**_Where she might view her love 'fore night._**

**_Sweet Endymion, whose love she holds dear,_**

**_Poor mortal man she might never stay near,_**

**_But for one night of the cycle of her moon._**

**_Whence she gazes in her mirror,_**

**_"Be patient love, I shall be there soon."_**

_"Selene's mirror." A voice behind her said. Startled, Serena turned around, and came face to face with…herself. The girl before her had the same blonde hair, done in Serena's signature hairstyle, two buns atop her head with hair streaming down on either side. The same blue eyes, reflecting the same sadness. Her dress was the same too, but she had the golden embroidery that Serena didn't. And on her forehead clearly shown was a golden crescent._

_"Princess Serenity." She said softly. The girl smiled._

_"Yes, but not for much longer, I hope."_

_"Pardon?" Serena was confused. Princess Serenity laughed quietly._

_"You want to be Sailor Moon, am I right?" Serena blushed._

_"Yes…" She said faintly._

_"Well, all I have ever wanted is to be a normal girl. And you want to be Sailor Moon. Swap?" Serena blinked. Suddenly the regal tone was gone._

_"Are you sure you want to give up your friends?" She asked._

_"I won't be giving them up." Princess Serenity said, "I will be gaining something precious. I will be gaining normality. That's all I ever wanted."_

_"Are you sure?" Serena questioned._

_"Do you want to?" Princess Serenity countered._

_"Yes…" The answer was no more than a whisper, but Princess Serenity heard her, and smiled. Suddenly, Serena saw the mirror glow, and a blinding light came out of Princess Serenity's crescent mark. Serena shielded her face against the light, and when she could see again, she noticed that Princess Serenity's gown was now plain, and hers had the embroidery. "Princess?" She questioned._

_"You're the Princess now." Serena Tsukino said joyfully. "I'll see you next week." The former-princess hugged Serena, and kissed her on the cheek. "**Ja, Sere-hime.**"_

**Ja, Sere-hime: **see you, Princess Serenity.

**More Author's Notes:**here're the answers to the reviews from chapters 11 and 12 of The Thirteenth Year.

**Shimmering Angel:** Thanks ^_^. I'm glad you like it. No, I'm not Japanese, nor do I speak fluent Japanese. I'm in yr 11, and so I've basically used what I know, and used my English-Japanese dictionary to do the rest ;-)

**Silver Moonlight-81:**Well, here's the sequel, sorry for the wait, it's that damned ff.net, kicking me off. Grrr…

**Ellen:**As you can see, no, I'm not going to add another chapter. Here's the sequel

**Sage: The Dark Dryad:**I'm glad you like the quotes, they will most definitely be continuing.****

**Quote of the day:** If there is a nonessential phrase, you stick it in commas. Commas are the garbage bags of grammar. - My high school English teacher


	2. Ch 1: Graduation

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Graduation

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Galaxy Dorm, Planet Orphanage, New York~

"**Sere-chan**!  **Oki te kudasai**!" {Serena! Please get up!} Matty called up the stairs.

"**Iie. Watashi no nemui da.**" {No. I'm sleepy.} Serena mumbled.

"Serena!" Matty had obviously stormed up the stairs. She pulled the covers off Serena's head, and glared. "Come on! We promised to meet Louise, Amelia, and Rochelle at the Mall before school, and Amelia is no doubt a nervous wreck already, no need to make her worse."

Serena sat up, completely awake now.

"**Hai, hai, atashi yukiki.**" {Ok, ok, I'm coming.} Serena mumbled.

Last year, Amelia had accepted a position at a riding camp for the summer. While there she became very close to the owner's of the camp, and they had adopted her, having no children of their own. Louise had been fostered soon after, and was living with those people still, and Rochelle's mother had finally been found, so Rochelle had moved out. Only Matty and Serena were left. Serena missed her former orphan-mates terribly, but she was extremely happy for them, and knew better than to make their lives miserable.

"I expect to see you downstairs in five minutes. We're graduating today, remember?"

"**Nani**?!" {What?!} Serena yelped. "**Iie! **It can't be!" {No!}

"Yes, it can be. Your robes are in the closet. Hurry up and get ready." Serena got out of bed, and ran to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later Serena and Matty were waiting at the coffee shop where they met with Louise, Amelia and Rochelle every morning.

"Where are they?" Serena asked finally.

"Over there." Matty replied, pointing. Serena flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, trying to get the stupid hat thing to stay on over her buns wasn't easy.

"Finally." She commented.

"Hi! Sorry we're late." Louise said, flashing a grin, green eyes dancing.

"Bad traffic. Mom couldn't take her foot off the brake for a minute." Rochelle added, pushing heavy purple/black hair off her forehead. "Whew! It's hot."

"For sure." Serena agreed.

"We had better be going," Amelia said, frowning at her watch, "The ceremony starts in two and a half hours."

"And we're across the street. It's definitely going to take us two hours and twenty-five minutes to get there." Serena said sarcastically.

"Serena!" Rochelle scolded. Serena giggled.

"Only kidding, Amelia." She said. "C'mon, let's go since you're so anxious."

"And last but not least, Warren, Serena." Miss Jenkins, Principal of Wessington Catholic College called out, handing Serena her certificate. "Congratulations." She added in an undertone. "See me after the ceremony, please." Serena nodded, confused.

"Serena!" Amelia called, "Come over and meet my Mom!"

"I can't, Ames, I've gotta go and see Miss Jenkins." Serena replied.

"Why?" Rochelle asked, coming up behind her, "How did you manage to get into trouble when it isn't even school time? Christ, Serena,"

"I dunno why I have to see her. Leave me alone!" Serena ran off, leaving her surprised friends behind.

Serena tapped on Miss Jenkins' office door, and went inside timidly.

"Ah, Serena, you made it." Miss Jenkins said, smiling, "And without your entourage. Very good." Her eyes were twinkling, which caused Serena to relax slightly, but she knew she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"You wanted to see me, Miss Jenkins?" She asked.

"Yes, I did. You are aware that you graduated with honours, Serena?"

"Yes…" Serena said slowly.

"And that although you took up Japanese halfway through year nine and are the highest in the year?"

"I am?"

"Well, an exchange has been offered from Juuban High School in Tokyo, for the best Japanese student in the year. It seems that one of their students is moving to New York, as her father has been transferred, and they have a spot to give away. You'd stay there for a while, see if you liked it, and, if you did, you could board there for the rest of your high school education."

"Really?!" Serena's eyes opened wide, "Are you sure? Omigod!!!!"

"Indeed." Miss Jenkins' eyes twinkled. "I'm very proud of you, Serena. I didn't think you were going to make it through your middle school years."

"Neither did I." Serena said honestly. "I'm really proud of myself. And this will be a great opportunity for me. I'll go. When do I leave?"

"In one week."

"A week?!"

"Yes, I wanted to wait until graduation to tell you. I was almost positive that you would do it anyway. I know how your mind works, Serena, and you have shown great dedication to the Japanese language." Miss Jenkins smiled at Serena warmly.

"Oh, this is great! Thank you, Miss Jenkins!"

"You have no one to thank but yourself, Serena."

Serena hugged Matty tightly.

"'Bye, **Sere-chan.**" Matty whispered. 

"**Sayoonara, Matty-chan. Tegami o kaku omoida.**" {Bye, Matty. Remember to write.} Serena replied.

"**Omae mo.**" {You too.}

"**Sayoonara**." {Bye.}

"**Sayoonara**." {Bye.} 

Serena walked through the barrier into customs, and onto her plane.

**More Author's Notes:** Thank you to these reviewers;

**lina():** Well, the mirror actually came from my own imagination. You see, before Sailor Moon came out, there actually _was_ a legend about the Goddess Selene of the Moon, and Endymion of Earth. The legend was that she saw him one night, fell in love with him, and begged Zeus to put him to sleep. Zeus asked Endymion what _he_ wanted to do, and Endymion agreed to sleep forever, and preserve his beauty. The consequence of the spell was that Selene could only see him on one night of each month, the night when there is no moon. Despite the fact that Endymion sleeps for eternity, he managed to impregnate Selene an impressive 50 times. The poem is Olde English, yes. But there's also a bit of Gaelic in there too.

**Lady of Pluto:** thanks, I will ^_^

**Silver Moonlight-81:** I'll definitely continue; I'm glad you liked it.

**Shimmering Angel:** No, she hasn't gone on the exchange program yet, to answer your first question, and as for your second, no, it wasn't a dream. It was real. Poor girl, I'm being _such_ a bitch to her…but just wait until she meets Darien! Yes, I'm evil ^_^

Quote for the week; I heard of a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there's one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners. 


	3. Ch 2: The Plane

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Selene's Mirror

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold**, or **_bold_** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Singapore Airport, Singapore~

Serena sighed, waking out into Singapore Airport. She had to change planes to get to Tokyo, although she didn't know why. She grabbed her ticket out of her bag; only to be grabbed suddenly…

**((Should I continue…………………**

**……………………………………….**

**……………………………………….**

**Ok……………………………………))**

Serena wrenched herself out of the other person's strong grip, and turned around, ready to defend herself. Her arms and mouth dropped open when she saw a mirror image of herself.

"**Sere-hime**?" {Princess Serenity?} She asked.

"Hush. You are Princess Serenity now." The girl said in slightly accented English. "I need to give you some things." She handed Serena a pink bag with a golden moon on it. "You should remember everything in time."

"What about Darien?" Serena asked, remembering the other girl's love for the dark-haired man. Serena Tsukino smiled sadly.

"He is destined to love the Moon Princess. I am no longer that girl. I have never been able to feel quite the love I once did, while you still dreamt of me. I believe part of the emotion was yours."

"You knew about that?!" Serena gasped. **Sere-ko** laughed, shaking her head.

"Not at first, no." She said, "Only after I defeated Galaxia did I realise that you had seen my life. That was when I began dreaming of you. But you stopped dreaming of me after I defeated Metallia…why?"

"I don't know." Serena said honestly. "Until I dreamt of you a week ago, I had been alone for two years."

"I think that perhaps my soul no longer called for friendship and understanding, because I had **Darien-chan**. Even while I was sure he hated me, part of my soul refused to believe it." Sere-ko said thoughtfully. "**Sayoonara, Sere-hime. Manzoka suru kudasai.**" {Goodbye, Princess Serenity. Please be happy.}

"**Hai, omae mo. **" {Ok, you too.} The two girls hugged.

"**Sere-chan! Hiyaku!**" {Serena! Hurry up!} A woman, who Serena recognised as Sere-ko's mom called.

"**Hai! Tashi yuki, Haha!**" {Ok! Coming, Mom!} Sere-chan smiled softly. "**Seiko o inoo ru yo**." {Good luck.} She hurried over to her family, and was hugged by her mother. Serena watched her blonde soul partner leave, and sighed. Time for her to go too. Onto a new life…in Tokyo. 

~Dream Sequence, Selene's Castle~

_Once again, Serena was in the middle of the mist. She walked forward, wondering what she was doing back here._

_"Took you long enough." A gentle voice said. Serena turned around, placing her hand to her heart. A beautiful woman with white hair, pale skin, and blue eyes smiled at her. "Did I scare you? I am sorry." She moved forward, so that she was standing in front of Serena. On her forehead was a silver crescent, and the dress she was wearing seemed to be made out of the mist itself. "I am Selene, Goddess of the Moon"_

_"I…er…" Serena stuttered._

_"You are Princess Serenity. I know." Selene inclined her head slightly, a small smile in her eyes, although her mouth remained stern._

_"I wasn't always." Serena ventured._

_"But you are now. Why did you take so long? I Called you hours ago."_

_"Called?"_

_"Yes. I Called your spirit."_

_"But I'm asleep…"_

_"Technically, yes. But your spirit is here. And until I allow it to go back to your body, you will not age…you will not wake. Come, I have something to show you." Serena followed Selene through the misty halls. She noticed the marble slab that she had seen last time. _

_"Selene, who is that man?" She asked hesitantly. Selene didn't turn around._

_"I may not see or touch him yet, it is not night. But his name is Endymion. He is my one true love, a mortal. Some say he is a shepherd's boy, some say Prince of Eris. I say he is Endymion, and that is all that matters."_

_"Is he Prince of Eris?" _

_"No. He is prince of more than Eris. He is Prince of Earth, just as I am Princess of the Moon. Or, just as I once was. Now you hold that title. Nor is he Prince of Earth any longer. That is Darien Chiba. Time waits for no one, not even deities. But we are not where we should be. Come." Serena followed her again, and finally they reached a monument that Serena recognised._

_"Your mirror." She said softly. This time, Selene did turn around. She smiled._

_"Correct. You have been here already, yes? Serena Tsukino brought you here."_

_"Yes…"_

_"Look into the mirror." Serena obeyed the blue-eyed lady's command. _

**((Yes, they're speaking Japanese, but the mirror translated it to English, because that's Serena Warren's first language))**

_$"What are we supposed to do?" A pretty dark-haired girl who Serena recognised as Rei asked._

_"Well, Serena said that she had organised someone to take her place…" A blonde girl – Mina – said doubtfully._

_"But we all know what Serena's like. And has she thought about Rini?" A green-haired girl queried, looking angry._

_"Well Rini's still here, isn't she?" A dark haired girl who looked to be around twelve said sensibly._

_"Yes…so she may have done _something_." A blonde haired boy added. A dark haired man whom Serena recognised as Darien stayed silent, staring at the ground glumly._

_"She said she didn't love me anymore…" He whispered._

_"Nonsense, Dad. After all, I'm still here, so she must love you." A pink haired twelve year old comforted._

_"Well, there's not much we can do." Ami said practically. "Has Trista said anything about it?"_

_"Only that the Fates have realigned…"_

_"Rei! Oh, hello girls…" An old man leered at the Scouts and their friends._

_"Grandpa! What are you doing here? I told you we needed privacy!" Rei snapped._

_"Well, this letter came for you." Rei's grandfather handed her the letter._

_"Thanks. Now shoo." Rei waited until her grandfather had closed the door, then read the letter. "Oh…lord."_

_"What?" Lita looked concerned._

_"I've got an exchange student from America coming to stay with me!!" $_

_Serena turned to Selene._

_"Is that what you wanted to show me?" She asked. Selene smiled._

_"It was not what _I_ wanted to show you." She said, "It was what the Mirror wanted to show you."_

_"Oh…" Serena said, not quite understanding, "Right…"_

_"It's time for you to wake up now." Selene's crescent flashed, and Serena disappeared…_

~Tokyo Airport…Tokyo~

"Could all passengers please put their seats in an upright position, stow away their trays and fasten their seatbelts ready for landing." An impersonal female voice said over the speakers. Serena did as she was told, mind still buzzing from the dream. Obviously the events she'd seen must have taken place a while ago, after all, Rei couldn't have heard about her arriving today…that was just silly.

**Sere-ko:** Serena (affectionate. You could also use Sere-chan.)

**Darien-chan:** Darien (affectionate, used between lovers, family, and close friends.)

****

**More Author's Notes:** Thanks to these reviewers;

**Sage: The Dark Dryad:** Yes, I already sent you the chapter :-). Thanks.

**Silver Moonlight-81:** Yes, she's now on her way. And she _will_ meet the senshi…how surprised are they gonna be when they see that she's identical to Serena Tsukino? Wait and see :-)

****

**Thought for the week:** A fight to the death between zombies has a few inherent problems


	4. Ch 3: Konnichi wa Watashi no namae wa Wa...

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Konnichi wa. Watashi no namae wa Warren Serena desu. (Otherwise titled 'The death of a Princess')

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Tokyo Airport, Tokyo~

Serena searched what she could see of the airport anxiously, looking for Rei. Finally, she caught sight of a large poster that read

SERENA WAREN! 

Both of the "a's" were backwards, and it was missing an "r", but Serena got the point. She grabbed her bags off the conveyer belt, and hurried over as quickly as she could to the sign. She frowned in puzzlement when she saw the people who were holding it. A tall lady around eighteen with wavy green hair, and a man around with same age, with blonde hair.

"Rei Hino?" She asked.

"**Iie. Watashi no tomodachi. Tachi no namae Kaiou Michelle da.**" {No. I'm her friend. My name's Michelle Kaiou.}

"Oh. Er…**Watashi wa jouzu ni nihongo ga hanasemasen. Eigo o hanashimasuka?**" {I don't speak Japanese very well. Do you speak English?}

"Yes. Sorry. Are you Serena Warren?" Michelle asked.

"Yes. **Osokunate sumimasen.**" {Sorry I'm late.} Serena shifted her suitcase from one hand to the other. She turned to the blonde man. "**O namae o kite mo iidesuka?**" {May I ask your name?}

"Amara. Amara Tenou." The blonde…lady said. Serena blushed at thinking Amara was a man, both now, and earlier, when she'd seen her in the Mirror.

"Nice to meet you." Serena bowed.

"You too." Michelle said politely, and Amara bowed back.

"If you don't mind my asking," Serena began, "Why aren't the Hinos here? I understood that they were to be my host family."

"They had some complications." Amara said shortly, glaring at Serena. Serena decided that to say more would be suicidal, and so remained silent.

About twenty minutes later they arrived (by car…a rather old Sedan) at a bunch of sprawling buildings that Serena recognised as the Hikawa Shrine. She got out and grabbed her suitcases, placing them beside her.

"Do I go in?" She asked Michelle. Michelle smiled.

"Here's Rei-chan now." She said by way of answering. And indeed, Rei was there. She came out, black hair fluttering in the breeze, smiling welcomingly. Then…she stopped.

"Sere-ko?!" She croaked in Japanese, 

"Yes…that's my name." Serena said, puzzled.

"**Eto Amerika-jin ikimasuka**?" {But I thought you were going to America?}

"Uh…I just came from America."

"Oh!** Gomen. Watashi no tsuen o tomodachi…**" {Excuse me. I thought you were my friend…} Rei looked flustered.

"That's ok. Er…do I look like your friend?" Serena asked the question, even though she knew the answer already.

"**Hai.** You have the same hair…the same eyes…you are the same height…and you sound similar…her name is Serena too." Rei looked rather sad.

"Oh." Serena ducked her head shyly. "May I come inside? These bags are heavy."

"Oh. Oh! Of course! **Gomen nasai**! How rude of me! I will show you to your room." Rei gestured for Serena to follow, then seemed to remember Michelle and Amara. "Oh, **gomen**, **Amara-san**, **gomen, Michelle-san.** **Domo agrigatoo **for picking up Serena-san" {Sorry, Amara, sorry, Michelle. Thank you very much} Amara and Michelle smiled.

"It was no problem, Rei-chan." Michelle said, obviously taking pains to talk in English so that Serena would be sure to understand her.

"Well…thank you anyway. Just so you know, there will be another meeting same time next week if you want to attend."

"We'll be sure to keep that in mind." Amara said coolly. "Come on, Mi-chan, time to go." She took Michelle's hand, and led her over to a motorcycle. Amara got on the front, and Michelle hopped on behind her, snuggling closer than necessary. A smile spread across Amara's face, and she looked back at Michelle, who had laid her head against Amara's shoulder fondly. 

Serena followed Rei into the temple, and to an empty room. She placed her things down on the **tatami** mat floor, and looked around the room curiously. In one corner were two large cupboards, and aside from that, and a desk and chair by the window, the room was empty. No bed or anything.

"There is a futon, blankets, and a pillow in this cupboard," Rei pointed to the one closest to the door, "And your clothes can go in this one. There's a bureau inside. If you need anything, come find me, or Chad-kun, or **Ojii-chan**. We're all glad to help." Rei smiled at her again, and left. 

Sighing, Serena set about putting the room to rights. Although she knew Japanese people did not set up their beds 'til night, she also knew that she would be more comfortable having it set up now, so she did so. Then she placed her laptop on the desk, and put her palm-pilot and mobile beside it. Her night light which she'd had since she was small was put beside her bed after being plugged in to an extension cord, and she placed her special pillow and quilt on the bed, leaving the others in the cupboard.  Quickly, she put her clothes away, changing into jeans and a white t-shirt with a pink bunny on it. Then she decided to see if Matty was online.

**_Sere-chanTokyo has logged on_**

**_Matty555: _**_hi!_

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ hey._

**_Matty555:_**_ r u ok? u sound stressed._

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ fine. just that rei recognised me._

**_Matty555:_**_ nm u can do about that. did u hear?_

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ eh?_

**_Matty555:_**_ 'bout that plane that crashed. Evry1 died. Apparently, it was the only plane heading to America from Singapore. It was a Japanese plane, which had made a small stop over in Singapore for a few passengers._

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ Matty…I think Serena Tsukino was on that plane…_

**_Matty555:_**_ would u like me 2 check?_

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ how?_

**_Matty555:_**_ a hacker never reveals her sources…_

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ sure…check. Then I can regain my piece of mind._

**_Matty555:_**_ 4 ppl with the name Tsukino were on the plane. Want their names?_

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ yes._

**_Matty555:_**_ Ken Tsukino, Ilune Tsukino, Samuel Tsukino, and Serena Tsukino…Omigod, Serena…I'm so sorry…_

**_Sere-chanTokyo:_**_ I have to go…_

**_Sere-chanTokyo has logged off._**

****

Serena sat back, eyes wide. Suddenly, they filled with tears, and she began to cry, great hiccuping sobs. She forgot how thin the walls and doors were, and she wailed her heart out.

"**Genki da?**" {Are you ok?} A hesitant voice said from the doorway.

"**Iie! Tachi tomodachi ni Sere-ko no shine deshita! Shine deshita!**" {No! My friend Serena's dead! Dead!} Serena wailed, automatically speaking in Japanese.

"**Sere-ko?** **Sere-ko o anata?**" {Serena? Serena who?} The girl asked.

"**Tsukino Serena! Tachi tomodachi!**" {Serena Tsukino! My friend.}

"**Tsukino Serena?! Iie! Masaka!**" {Serena Tsukino?! No! You're lying/joking.} The girl sounded shocked.

"**Nande masaka desuka?!**" {Why would I lie?!} Serena turned around, and blinked. "**Ami-chan?**"

"**Nan desuka? Sere-ko?! Amerika-jin ikimasuka?!**" {Who are you? Serena?! But didn't you go to America?!} The blue-haired girl looked shocked.

"**Eigo o hanashimasuka?**" {Do you speak English?} Serena demanded.

"Yes." Ami nodded.

"Ok. I am not the Serena that you know. Rei-san got me confused as well. My name is Serena Warren. I am an exchange student from America. I came here to go to school. I met Serena Tsukino over the Internet, and we became friends. One of my friends from home, Matilda Atkinson, informed me that the only flight to America from Japan, stopping off in Singapore, had crashed, and everyone aboard had been killed. 

"Frantically, I asked her if Sere-ko had been on board. Matty-chan is a hacker, and she soon found out that Sere-ko's whole family had been on board. Naturally, I was upset, being so close to Sere-ko. We actually met for the first time today, when I was on my way to Japan, and she to America."

"Oh…how do you know me?" Ami asked slowly, suspicion flaring in her eyes.

"Sere-ko sent me a photo, and she talked about you guys a lot. You seemed really close, as though you'd been through a lot."

"We have…" Ami's eyes softened. "I can't believe she's gone. After all she's been through." She stifled a sob. Serena got up, and led her over to the bed, making her sit down.

"It's better to cry, you know." She said quietly, "Let it all out. Then you don't bottle it up. That's bad for you. I should know." Ami nodded, and her face crumpled as she began to cry. Serena pulled her into a hug, forgetting everything she'd ever learnt about body contact with the Japanese. All she cared about was that there was someone in pain, not that it wasn't proper etiquette to touch them…

**Konnichi wa. Watashi no namae wa Warren Serena Desu:** Hello. My name is Serena Warren.

**Hai:** yes

**Gomen nasai:** I'm sorry.

**San:** attached to the name of someone who; you hold in high regard

is older than you

you don't know very well.

**Tatami:** tatami mats are made out of rushes. They are about 20 cm x 20 cm, and cover the whole of a floor in a traditional Japanese room (paper doors and all). You must always take your shoes (and house slippers) off before entering a room floored with these mats, as they are very easy to rip, and extremely expensive.

**Ojii-chan: **grandpa

**More Author's Notes:** Thanks to these reviewers;

**Sweetkitty():** thanks :-) glad you like it.

**Shimmering Angel:** thanks…and I'm updating…

****

**Thought for the week:** "Just say no" prevents teenage pregnancy the way 'Have a nice day' cures chronic depression.


	5. Ch 4: Juuban Koutou Gakkou

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Juuban Koutou Gakkou

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Serena's new room, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Finally, Ami stopped crying. Serena knew that this whole scene would probably happen again when the other Scouts found out.

"**Gomen.**" Ami said, "I didn't mean to cry like that."

"Well it's understandable." Serena said practically. "What are you going to tell your friends?"

"**Osore irimasu? Atashi tomodachi? Nande o atashi tomodachi?**" {Excuse me? My friends? How do you know about my friends?} Ami asked sharply.

"Sere-ko told me." Serena lied. "But how are you going to tell them about Sere-ko?"

"I don't know. But I have to. Poor Darien-kun…" Ami said miserably. "**Matte!** What about Rini-chan?!"

"What about me?" Serena asked, puzzled.

"Huh?"

"Oh…sorry…one of my nicknames is Rini. I got really used to people calling me that."

"You know…you look strangely like Sere-ko…" Ami said, looking suspicious. "Are you _sure_ your name is Serena Warren?"

"Yes…and I'm from America. Why does everyone keep telling me I look like Sere-ko?! I don't! I'm my own person!"

"You even do your hair the same way." Ami continued.

"I've done my hair this way since I was thirteen!"

"Have you? I'm not sure…" Ami was still looking suspicious. Just then, there was a tap at the door.

"Come in." Serena called. Rei stuck her head around the door.

"Have you seen…**Ami-chan**! **Ossu**! Just the person I was looking for. Ami-chan…**nande** **genki da**?" {Ami! Hi! …what's wrong?}

"Sere-ko…" Ami whispered. "Rei, call Mina-chan, Lita-chan, Darien-kun, Rini-chan, Hotaru-chan, Trista-san, Amara-san and Michelle-san. We need to talk…" Rei shot Serena an apologetic look, and followed Ami out.

~ Serena's new room, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo (the following day)~

Serena awoke the following morning bright and early, having set her alarm for the earliest time possible. The night before, a red-eyed Rei had told her that Ami would be walking her to school, and had handed her one of Ami's school uniforms to borrow until she could get one of her own. 

After putting it on, Serena sat down on her bed, looking at her small backpack sadly. Suddenly, she remembered the bag that Sere-ko had given her. She ran to the cupboard which house her clothes, and dug through the bottom of it quickly. She found the little pink bag, and took it out, upending it on the bed.

Serena stared at the objects in awe. A beautiful heart shaped compact with wings that Serena recognised as the Eternal Moon Compact glinted up at her. Also, there was a long wand with a pink jewel at one end. The wand (the Kaleid Moon Scope) had a strange handle shaped into a heart, with wings just above it. Also there was a communication device, a transformation brooch, and a beautiful **fuku**. She quickly bundled them under her pillow when she heard someone coming. It was Mr. Hino.

"Hello, Sir." Serena said politely.

"Please, Serena-san, call me **Ojii-chan.**" The old man said.

"Only if you call me Sere-chan." Serena returned.

"Very well, Sere-chan. Did you sleep well?" Ojii-chan asked.

"**Hai, domo. Anata?**" {Yes, thanks. Did you?} Serena grinned cheerfully at him, all the while wishing he would leave.

"Yes, I did. Be sure to eat breakfast soon, you have to leave in an hour."

"**Hai, Ojii-chan.**" {Ok, grandpa.} Serena nodded, and sighed in relief as he left. She immediately took everything out from underneath her pillow. The minute she touched the Eternal Moon Compact, a bunch of memories flashed through her head. 

She saw herself fighting against two aliens, Alan and Ann. She saw a man who looked like Darien all dressed in Arabian gear; his name was the Moonlight Knight. Then she saw Catsy, Prisma, Avery and Birdie. Rubeus, Sapphire, Prince Diamond and the Black Lady came next. She saw the Black Lady turn back into Rini, and finally realised who the girl with pink hair was. She saw an older version of herself hug Rini, and an older version of Darien do so as well. Then she saw the other Sailors, Kaori Night, Eugeal, Zirconia, Neherenia, the Amazon Trio and Quartet, and the Sailors Tin Nyanko, Lead Crow, and Aluminium Siren. Finally, she saw Mistress Nine, and Hotaru/Sailor Saturn/Sailor of Destruction. She breathed hard. "Wow…" she whispered. In about twenty minutes she'd seen two years of Sailor Moon's life.

"Serena-san?" Rei knocked on the door. Quickly, Serena swept the magical items under her pillow again. She had a different idea of how she was going to let the Scouts know she was Sailor Moon.

"**Hai, Rei-san?**" {Yes, Rei?} Serena asked, opening the door.

"Are you wanting breakfast?" Serena hid a smile at Rei's bad wording. She probably sounded sort of like that sometimes.

"Hai.  Thank you for reminding me. I would have forgotten. I was reading."

"What were you reading?" Rei asked, interested.

"This Sailor V manga that I bought at the airport." Serena showed the comic to her. "It's my favourite one. I don't speak Japanese very well, but I'm all right at reading it." Rei gulped, and tears filled her eyes. "**Rei-san nani genki desuka? Machigatte ikimasuka? Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai!**" {Rei, what's the matter? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!}

"**Iie, iie, Serena-san. **You did nothing wrong. Its just…Sere-ko used to read Sailor V comics…" {No, no, Serena} Rei sniffed. Serena hugged her, once again forgetting about the 'this is my space, and this is your space' rule of Japan. She was too used to American touchy-feeliness.

"I really am very sorry for your loss," she said softly, "and I hate to sound like an **ikeike**, but don't we have to go to school right about now?"

"**Hai! Anata machigakunai! Hiyaku!**" {Yes! You're right! Hurry!} Rei jumped up and raced out. Serena stood up, following her black-haired companion…

~Juuban High, Outside the **Eigo** Room (Room 407)~

Serena waited outside her first class, listening intently. The teacher, **Chikuso Sensei** was inside, having told her to wait out here while she was introduced.

"**Kitte, kudasai, minna-san.**" {Listen, please, class.}Chikuso Sensei called, "We have a new student, from America. Does everyone understand me?" There was a general murmur of affirmation. "**Ii** **desu**. Now, as this is English class, I shall be talking only in English. This will help you to learn the English language.

"As I was saying, we have a new student. Serena Warren. She is a transfer student from America. But before I introduce her, I have some sad news. Yesterday, a plane heading to America from Japan crashed. Everyone aboard was killed. On this plane was one of your classmates, Serena Tsukino." A murmur went through the class, and a few of the students began to cry, "This is a terrible tragedy. I propose that we have a minute's silence in honour of the people who died." Outside, Serena was silent too, and the silence was only broken by the sound of muffled sobs. 

Finally, Chikuso Sensei poked her head out of the door, and smiled at Serena kindly, her brown eyes full of warmth.

"You may come in now, **Warren-san**." She said.

"Thank you…I mean **arigatoo**…I mean…" Serena stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Thank you will do fine. This is English class, after all." Chikuso Sensei laughed.

"Ok…" Serena said, following her inside. There was a large gasp, and a couple of muttered 'Sere-ko's as Serena walked in.

"Now," Chikuso Sensei said, ignoring the noise, which settle down the moment she began to speak, "why don't you tell us something about yourself, Warren-san? In English, if you will."

"Alright," Serena agreed, "well…my name is Serena Warren, and my country of origin is America. I am an orphan, and I am here on an exchange program, possibly I shall stay here, if I like it. I can speak moderate Japanese, read it quite well, but I'm no good at translating, so _please_ talk slowly, or I won't understand a single word you say. It's nice to be here, at such a fine school, and I should like to be as comfortable as possible. Thanks for listening." She bowed.

"Thank you, Warren-san. Sit over there, next to **Aino-san**." Chikuso Sensei pointed at an empty seat next to a girl Serena recognised as Mina Aino. She walked over to it, and sat down. "Now, today we are going to work on essay writing…"

***

By the beginning of recess, Serena was feeling pretty good about herself. She'd been to two classes, (**eigo to suugaku**), and had done fantastically. However, she was a bit nervous about the class she had after lunch. **Nihongo**. How was she going to do? Just thinking about it was pure torture. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she walked straight into a very hard wall of flesh.

"**Itai! Anata ni chuui suru!**" {Ow! Watch where you're going!} A familiar voice snapped. Serena's head jerked up.

"Amara-san?" She asked.

"**Hai…Serena-san, ne?**" {Yes…Serena, right?} The blonde senior asked.

"Yes."

"Good." Amara nodded, easily swapping to English.

"Sorry I bumped into you." Serena bowed.

"I suppose I can forgive you this time." Amara grinned, almost flirtatiously. Serena blushed at the thought of Amara flirting with her.

"**Ama-chan!**" {Amara!} A gay voice called, and Michelle hurried up, lugging a rather heavy looking music case.

"**Mi-chan!** **Ossu**!" {Michelle! Hi!} Michelle grinned happily, and then turned her pretty green eyes on Serena. "**Serena-san! Konnichi wa! O genki desu ka?**"{Serena! Hello! How are you?}

"I'm fine. How are you?" Serena answered in English.

"I'm good, thanks." Michelle bowed slightly.

"Well, I must be going. **Ja**." {See ya.} Serena bowed to them both, and hurried in the opposite direction. She heard sobbing cries coming from the direction of the **sakura ki** bower, and hurried over there. There was a young girl, her age, but shorter, being beaten up by two seniors. "**Kisama ra!**" {You there! (very insulting)} She yelled, "**machi nasai!**" {Stop that right now!} The boys turned around, and sneered at her.

"**Anata ni machi o saseru, ondango atama?**" {Are you going to make us, meatball head?} The bigger one snarled. The shorter one snickered inanely.

"**Watashi chikusho tadashi kimashoo!**" {Damn right I will!} Serena slapped the taller one, and kicked the shorter in the shins. They both glared at her, and leapt. She dodged the first attack, but was caught by the shorter, heavier-set one. She struggled to get out from underneath him, but he was _very_ heavy.

"**Aete shoujo kougeki suru!**" {How dare you attack this girl!} A rather familiar husky voice yelled. The guy was pulled off her, and Serena managed to kick him in the stomach as she got up.

"**Arigatoo,**" {Thank you,} she said, "**watashi no shippai ni kimatte iru.**" {I thought I was doomed/done for.}

"**Douitashimashite.**" {You're welcome.} Lita panted, snapping her hand up, and kicking the other guy.

"**Eigo ni hanashimasuka?**" {Do you speak English?} Serena asked, deftly blocking a punch.

"Yes. Sorry. You are the American exchange student Rei-chan is hosting, **ne?**" {Right?} Lita kicked her guy in the balls, deftly ridding herself of the problem.

"Yes. Serena Warren." Serena copied Lita's action, and her guy crumpled.

"Lita Kino." Lita ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes briefly as she caught her breath.

"Nice to meet you." Serena offered her hand.

"You too." Lita looked at her, and blinked. "Sere-ko?!"

"No, no." Serena said hastily, "I just look like her. I know that I do. I'm sorry."

"It is not your fault," Lita blinked away tears, "she was a close friend."

"I know. I'm sorry for your loss. If it is any consolation, she thought very highly of you, too."

"Thank you, it is. Wait…how do you know?" Lita looked suspicious.

"Because I met her over the Internet, and she told me all about you." Serena lied, "she said you were like her big sister, the one she never had, but always wanted."

"Oh. Well…thank you. I'll see you later, bye," she jogged off, leaving Serena to deal with the frightened girl.

"Th-thank you." The girl stuttered. 

"You're welcome." Serena replied, "my name's Serena Warren, what's yours?"

"Kimiko Tomodachi." The dark-haired girl said.

"Cool. Nice to meet you."

"It is being good to meet me as well." Kimiko said, tilting her head to one side. Serena took a moment to translate what she said, then grinned.

"Well, Kimiko-san, would you like to go shopping tomorrow afternoon?" Kimiko nodded, dark eyes shining.

"We would like that much," she said. Serena's smile broadened.

"Great. Where do you live?"

"**Nande?**" {What?} Poor Kimiko looked confused.

"Er…**yatta da. Doko ni sunde imasuka?**" {great. Where do you live?}

"Oh! I live near the school. I live two block away." Serena did some mental calculations.

"Well, how about if I meet you here tomorrow morning, around **kyuu-jin da.**" {9 o'clock.}

"Yes. That would be good." Kimiko nodded. "It is good to have a new friend."

"It is good for me too, **Kimi-chan**." {Kimiko, (affectionate)} Serena smiled, bowing, and helping the shorter girl up. Just then, the bell rang, signalling the end of recess…

**Juuban Koutou Gakkou:** Juuban High School

**Gomen:** sorry

**Kun:** attached the names of boys you know moderately well, sometimes used instead of chan

**Matte: **wait

**Ossu: **hi

**Fuku:** this is the outfit that the scouts wear.

**Ojii-chan:** grandpa

**Ikeike:** bitch

**Eigo:** English

**Chikusho Sensei: **Miss Chikusho

**Ii desu: **good

**Warren-san:** Miss Warren? (Polite, mainly used by teachers and people who don't know you very well, or in business relationships)

**Arigatoo: **thank you

**Aino-san:** Miss Aino (see above brackets)

**Eigo to suugaku:** English and Maths

**Nihongo:** Japanese

**Sakura Ki:** cherry blossom tree

**Domo:** thanks

**More Author's Notes:** Thanks to these reviewers;

**Sage: The Dark Dryad:** I'm going straight to hell, aren't I?

**Silver Moonlight-81:** Thanks; I'm glad you liked it.

**Celticas:** Glad you like it.

**DarkSun:** No need to hunt me down…meep?

**Thought for the week:** Please don't kill me…I have cheese…


	6. Ch 5: Eternal Moon Power!

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Eternal Moon Power!

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** Ack, this is a very short chapter. Only 874 words :-(. Sorry, guys. I'll try to make the next one longer. Here we get our first look at Eternal Sailor Moon; Serena Warren style! ^_^. Also, Serena _finally_ meets Darien. *giggles* I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Front Entrance, Juuban High School, Tokyo~

Serena had her head stuck in her **Nihongo** book as she left Juuban High, so she supposed it was forgivable that she didn't notice the man until she ran into him. 

"**Ano ne! Anata ni chuui suru!**" {Hey! Watch where you're going!} He yelped.

"**Gomen nasai. Mata-janai desu yo.**" {Sorry. I didn't see you.} Serena said, looking up. She caught her breath; it was Darien! "**Darien-chan?!**"

"**Nani? Nan desu ka? Sere-ko?!**" {What? Who are you? Serena?!} Serena sighed, she was forever getting this reaction, but this was the only time she had felt any desire to pretend to be someone she was not.

"No," she said in English, "I'm not Serena Tsukino. My name is Serena Warren. I'm the exchange student from America who is being hosted by Rei Hino. I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't know Sere-ko well, but I did know her, and she was a wonderful person." Darien's face fell, and, still holding Serena close, he asked another question, this time in English.

"Why do you look so much like her?"

"I don't know." Serena refused to allow herself to think about how safe being in his arms felt. Instead, she gently disengaged herself, ignoring the slightly bereft feelings that action produced. "Once again, sorry for bumping into you." She stuffed her book in her bag, and hurried away…

~Serena's Bedroom, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Serena tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She was exhausted, but her mind was too full of thoughts for her to rest. One face and thought in particular kept coming back. _Darien…_ Serena scowled, got up, and ran outside, unthinkingly grabbing a compact as she went…

Outside, it was raining, but Serena didn't notice. She stood there, in the pouring rain, glaring at the thundery sky, the clouds a deep black that reminded her of a certain person's hair…so soft…

"WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!" She screamed; her voice drowned out by a sudden clap of thunder. "I DIDN'T WANT THIS! I DIDN'T NEED IT!"

"Correction, you both wanted _and_ needed it, Serena." A quiet, very familiar voice said. Serena whirled around, and glared at Selene.

"What would you know?" She asked, voice cold, "you don't have a crush on a man whose true love died. You haven't shared a soul with someone else for two years, and suddenly found a part of yourself that you never knew existed making you wake up to its existence and pay attention."

"Correction," Selene said, still gently, "I know exactly how you feel. Endymion was not always in love with me, you know. And I share my soul with my two sisters, Phoebe and Hecate. Phoebe is the Waxing Moon, I am the Full Moon, and Hecate is the Waning Moon. So I _do_ know how you feel. And I have followed your life since you were born, Serena. I know your feelings, thoughts, and needs better than you do. So you _do_ want and need this. You just don't know it yet. Now, you have to transform. Become Sailor Moon. The Scouts are in trouble; they need your help. The Nega Moon was not quite as incapacitated as they thought."

"I can't." Serena sobbed. "I don't know how. I'm not strong enough for this, I never was. I was an idiot to take Sere-ko's power, she knew how to use it, and she was brave enough, strong enough. I'm not." She fell to her knees in the mud, burying her face in her hands, tears and rain mingling. She felt someone kneel beside her, and gently take her face in his or her hands. She looked up into the face of Selene, who looked so sad, so loving, so sympathetic, that her tears stopped at once.

"Dear heart," she said, wiping rain and tears off the blonde girl's face, "you _are_ strong enough. You're stronger than anyone, even you, knows. All you need to do is believe in yourself. I know those words sound empty and meaningless, but they are true. You need to do this, to heal yourself, and to heal the others. They need you, love. More importantly, you need them. Will you do what you know is right?" Shakily, Serena nodded, getting up, her nightgown dripping with water and filth.

"Eternal Moon POWER!" She said, her voice getting stronger with every word…

~The Park, Tokyo~

Sailor Moon watched the fighting, her horror and rage growing with every attack against her friends. When the Nega-monster went for Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon's fragile control snapped, and she pushed the Nega-monster out of the way with a crackle of pure white power.

"**Iie! Tuxedo Kamen!**" {No! Tuxedo Mask!} She yelled, kicking the monster in the head. It staggered back in shock, and she thrust her hand up, crunching the thing's nose with the heel of her palm. The fact that it fell to the ground moments later signified that she had sent shards of bone into its brain. Immediately, the Scouts turned on Sailor Moon.

"**Anata wa nan desu ka?**" {Who are you?} Sailor Uranus demanded.

"I am someone you know, and yet, don't know. I'll leave you to get rid of the minions. Ta ra." Sailor Moon said in English, leaving while the Scouts struggled to translate her words…

**Nihongo:** Japanese (in Japan, this is like our English lessons. Spelling, writing, grammar, all that crap, as well as, at my school 'clear-thinking' which means we go through persuasive writing pieces and dissect them. It stinks.)

**More Author's Notes:** I am sooo sorry! I really didn't mean to leave off posting for so long. Because of your patience, you're gonna get…12 chapters. Also, I've finally finished, and I really wanna get posting it out of the way. After this I'm gonna have a little break. I know _Hey, Where Are The Kangaroos?_ is still up in the air, and I'm sorry, but I really need this break. My school work's totally intense right now, and I can't concentrate on both at once.

Anyway, enough of my whinging. Thanks to these reviewers;

**Sage: The Dark Dryad:** Thank you so much for your faithful reviews, Sage. You've been an inspiration to me (heck, you _were_ the inspiration!) I just want to say that without your ongoing support, I don't think I would have finished this story.

**Guardian Dimension:** She is, sort of, but not in the same way. She and Serena W now rather share a body, and, although Serena W never really finds this out, Serena Tsukino comes to her aid when she most wants to give up. Thank you for your review, I'm glad you think my story is so good. For once, I'm actually pleased with the ending.

**Dreaming Angels, Inc:** Yes! I updated! Unfortunately, I've been a bit lazy 'bout the computer, but all that's changing now.

**Silver Moonlight81:** I'm glad you liked it.

**Thought for the week:** No matter what, a loved one never dies…until you forget them.


	7. Ch 6: The Myster that is High School Foo...

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** The Mystery that is High School Food…

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** Ok, this is pretty much a filler chapter, not much happens…Serena cries a bit, and does some Darien-drooling though! Mmm…Darien-drooling…is it pathetic to have a crush on a cartoon character? I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated. 

~Juuban High Cafeteria, Juuban High, Tokyo~

Serena poked the unidentifiable green-ish object with her chopsticks, frowning.

"I have a policy of not eating anything that moves, breathes, or is covered in slime," she informed Kimi-chan. "What do you think?"

"I think it is as all three." Kimi-chan replied gravely, struggling to understand. Serena sighed, pushing her plate away.

"**Gomen, Kimi-chan.**" {I'm sorry, Kimiko} She said, "**Watashi ni toowako anata desu ka?**" {Am I confusing you?}

"**Hai. Eto eigo no kakarimasu.**" {Yes. But you're helping me with my English.} Kimi-chan replied. "So I do not mind." She reverted back to English, smiling and taking a bite of her own **obentoo**, which she had brought with her from home.

"You were the smart one." Serena groaned, holding her growling stomach. Kimi-chan giggled, and pushed her lunch over towards Serena.

"Have some," Kimi-chan invited, "I cannot eat it all. Mama…she is packing much."

"Thank you." Serena took a piece of **sushi **and ate it, dipping it in a large amount of **wasabi** first. "Mmm…" she said delightedly. Kimi-chan's eyes were wide.

"Are you insane?" She asked, "the wasabi…it is hot!"

"I like hot things." Serena said honestly, thinking about Darien. "I like hot things _verry _much." She stared out of the cafeteria window, watching a certain blue-eyed, dark haired hunk walk by. Kimi-chan followed her gaze.

"Ah…like him, **ne**?" Kimi-chan smiled wisely.

"**Hai…**" {Yes…} Serena sighed.

"Excuse me for interrupting." Mina Aino said from where she'd been having a heated discussion with Rei Hino and Lita Kino two seats away, "But you have no chance with him. He's Sere-ko's ex."

"I know," Serena groaned, "it's so unfair." Mina glared.

"What do you mean by that?" She demanded; blue eyes icy as she tossed back some of her golden hair.

"I simply mean that it's unfair that Sere-ko had to die, and that the guy of my dreams happens to be her ex, so I can't even make myself forget my pain that way." Serena said honestly, eyes shining with tears. "God, I hate this. Sorry." She got up, and fled the lunchroom, dashing tears from her eyes as she went.

Serena stared at her face in the Ladies Room mirror, seeing as if for the first time the deep circles under her eyes, and how thin her face was again. She hadn't looked this bad since The Dreams. She heard the lavatory door open, and quickly closed herself into a stall.

**((AN: Ok, pretend that the people are talking Japanese here, k? Because I'm not very good with it, only being in year 11, so I'm just going to write the dialogue in English.))**

"What was _that_ all about?" A rather familiar husky voice asked the air. Serena's eyes widened. That was Lita!

"Yes. It was decidedly strange. I wonder why Serena-san got so worked up." Ami agreed thoughtfully.

"I don't like her." Mina insisted. "Sitting there looking like Sere-ko, acting like Sere-ko, and openly salivating over **Darien-kun**. It's not natural. There's something strange about her."

"Stop being silly, Mina-chan," Lita dismissed, "there's nothing odd about Serena-san. She's stuck in a foreign country, having just found out that a friend of hers is dead, and she has no one to talk to. Of course she's going to be extra depressed. It's natural."

"Entirely," Ami agreed, "well, I'm done, and I really need to do some research before Chem.…but our meeting's still on for tonight?"

"Yes," Lita said, "five o'clock sharp, as per usual. Well, I should be going to. My home Ec. teacher's been handing us a huge amount of homework, and I've _got_ to create a new recipe for duck before next week."

"I have a lesson with my drama teacher now," Mina agreed, and the door banged shut behind them.

Serena sagged against the door of her cubicle, a harsh breath escaping from her mouth. It hurt to know that Mina didn't trust her. Princess Mina of Venus was her – Princess Serenity's – cousin. They'd been best friends back on the moon, Princess Mina covering for Princess Serenity more than once when she'd snuck to Earth to woo her love, Prince Darien. She'd even dressed up as Princess Serenity a few times and pretended to be her! They looked so alike that only Queen Selenity had ever been able to tell them apart.

"Sere-chan?" A hesitant voice asked. Serena opened the stall door, and smiled at Kimi-chan.

"Hey, Kimi-chan." She said wearily. **((In case you have not guessed, the 'Japanese' left when Mina did.))**

"**Genki da?**" {Are you ok?}

"Yes." Serena sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I guess we'd better get going to class, huh?"

"Yes, or, rather, to the Library. You wants to go there after class, remember?"

"Er…yes…" Serena nodded, taking a moment to exchange 'after' for 'before'. "Let's go, then."

~Serena's Room, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Serena typed away at her computer, composing a rushed email to Amelia, telling her all about the culture, the school, and, most importantly, the mall.

_'It's so much fun here,'_

She wrote,

_'I have so much to learn. And already I've learnt more Japanese than I did by staying at home and studying through school._

_'I have this great new friend. Her name's Kimiko Tomodachi. She's really nice, and very pretty. She's got dark hair (traditional of the Japanese, I know, but you'd be amazed, I've already met a whole bunch of people with the _strangest_ hair colours), dark eyes, and skin the colour of tea._

_'And she's _sooo_ smart! Omigod, you wouldn't _believe_ how smart she is! And we went to the mall yesterday, and had sooo much fun! I swear; I haven't had that much fun while not buying anything for myself in _ages_! ^_^. _

_Oops, must go, unless I want to have to send this email in two parts, it's already over ten pages long. Love ya, Ames._

_Serena'_

Serena turned off the monitor, planning to send the email later. Her ears pricked up when she heard murmurs just outside her window. Quickly, she hurried over, and peeked out.

**((Once again, pretend they're speaking Japanese. I'm getting lazy.))**

"…And then she ran out, crying," Lita said, "it was very strange." Rei nodded, dark eyes serious.

"Hmm…" Was all she said.

"What do you think, Aunt Trista?" Hotaru asked the scarlet-eyed lady. Trista frowned.

"Well, as I said before, I felt a definite shift behind the gates…but for some reason I cannot get an accurate reading. It's almost as if something's blocking me…but that's not possible. No one's that strong…except Galaxia."

"Impossible!" Mina said, "she's dead. Sere-ko killed her!"

"Does the energy feel evil?" Ami asked, typing away on her palm pilot, obviously the recorder of the **minutes** for their meetings.

"No…it felt almost…benevolent…and…kind." Trista said slowly. Serena frowned at that, her mind flipping through all the alternatives, before coming to rest on one person.

_Selene_. Obviously Selene was helping her keep her identity a secret. Perhaps she agreed with Serena that it was best to let the Scouts warm up to her as a normal person before she shared her secret…

Mind made up, Serena went to the kitchen to get some chocolate chip cookies.

**((And now, back to non-laziness ^_^))**

Serena was rifling through the cabinet that held the American processed food (plastic, like the rest of America ^_^) that she'd brought with her (even though she shouldn't have gotten past Customs), when she felt someone's eyes on her. She turned around, and relaxed when she saw Rini and Hotaru standing there, looking rather startled.

"Oh, thank Selene," she breathed in English, "you frightened me."

"**Wakarimasen…**" {I don't understand…} Rini said slowly.

"Oh! Er…" Serena bit her lip helplessly. She rifled through her brain, trying to find a way to express herself. "**Domo Selene-sama. Watashi no…odoroki desu.**" {Thank Lady Selene. You…gave me a fright.}

"Ah!" Hotaru exclaimed, "**tenkousei anata yo?**" {You are the exchange student?}

"**Hai. Watashi no namae wa Warren Serena desu. O namae wa nandesuka?**" {Yes. My name's Serena Warren. May I ask your names?} Serena bowed slightly, pretending she did not know the two girls already.

"**Hai, gomen. Atashi no Tomoe Hotaru, de itte atashi ni tomodachi no Tsukino Rini da. Shurai ni naru da.**" {Yes, sorry. My name's Hotaru Tomoe, and this is my friend Rini Tsukino. Nice to meet you.} Hotaru and Rini bowed.

"**Anata mo.**" {You too.} She held out the tin of cookies. "**Doozo, chokura chipu kuuki desu ka?**" {Do you want a chocolate chip cookie?}

"**Domo.**" Rini said, and they both accepted one, eating them quickly.

"**Ja.**" Serena twiddled her fingers at them, and hurried back to her room, taking the sugar-loaded confectionary with her.

**Obentoo: **lunch. An obentoo usually has vegetables, sushi (chicken – cooked ^o^, or fish – raw ^**.**^), and some type of savoury rice.

**Sushi**: Traditional – Raw fish marinated overnight in vinegar (which pretty much cooks it anyway) before being placed on a bed of rice underneath which is some pre-water-soaked seaweed then rolled into a tube, before being cut into pieces about 5 cm wide. Tastes really nice with **wasabi**, even if you _hate_ fish (and I do ~_^)

Non-traditional – Made with cooked chicken, placed on a bed of rice underneath which is some pre-water-soaked seaweed then rolled into a tube, before being cut into pieces about 5 cm wide.

**Wasabi:** Green pepper (spicier than red pepper) paste native to Japan, and used to spice up many dishes. Almost a staple, like fish…rice…and soy sauce ~_^

**Ne: **right?

**Darien-kun:** Darien (informal, sometimes used for boys instead of -chan)

**Minutes:** although this isn't a Japanese word, I thought I'd explain it anyway, just in case. In meetings there is always a recorder of the minutes, who pretty much writes down everything that goes on in the meeting, also bringing up any unresolved issues from former meetings, and making apologies (in other words, informing the assembled party of anyone who couldn't make it).

**Ja:** Bye


	8. Ch 7: Dreamy Crushes

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Dreamy crushes…

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated. 

~Random Gym, Tokyo~

"Hiya!" Serena said, giving her boxing bag the full treatment, kicking and punching it for all she was worth. "Take that." She muttered, punching all of her anger and frustration away. She gasped slightly as her right shoulder twinged, a result of her battle with some kind of purple squidy thing last night. "Damn," she hissed, massaging the knot rather awkwardly.

"You should probably have stretched beforehand," a masculine voice said, rubbing the spot for her, and causing the acute pain to vanish.

"I did, but…" Serena turned around, and blinked, "Helios?"

"Yeah." The younger man smiled a slightly crooked grin. "You're Rei-san's exchange student, right?"

"You know who I am? And you're not mistaking me for Sere-ko?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, I know you. And 'course I don't mistake you for Sere-ko. Guardian of Dreams, remember? I know you and Sere-ko shared a soul, always have. You're strangely naïve for a teenager. I can _still_ access your dreams. Well…most of them," his face tinged slightly red, and Serena giggled.

"Nice to know I have a friend here who knows the entire story," she said. "Well, since we both know one another, wanna have a coffee or something? I'm a bit worn out."

"Sure." Helios agreed. "So, if you stretched, what's with the sore muscles?"

"War wound from last night." Serena joked. Helios nodded.

"Makes sense." He offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"I'll just go have a shower first." Serena said, hurrying towards the Ladies Change Rooms.

"So," Serena said, "gimme all the goss. Like, how do you feel about Rini?"

"Wh-what?" Helios spluttered, his face going red as he tried to hide behind his golden fringe.

"You heard me. What was all this talk Sere-ko heard from Rini about her horsy-faced love, hmm?"

"She likes me?" Helios asked shyly.

"Most definitely. I reckon you've got a pretty good chance, **Hel-kun**. Just gotta take it. Ask her out. I'll bet she'd love it." Helios' face went redder, if that was possible, and he ducked his head shyly. "Anyway," Serena slurped up the last of her cappuccino, "I'd better be going. Paper due for Chem."

"Yeah, I have stuff that I need to do, too." Helios agreed, getting up, "see you around, Serena-san."

"**Ja, Hel-kun.**" {See ya, Helios} She gave him the finger wave, and watched him leave, before checking her watch. "Damn," she muttered, "I missed half my work out, and now I have to find myself a chiropractor."

~Dr. Tsukiyani's office, Winston and Son's Chiropractors, Tokyo~ 

"Oh, yeah…" Serena sighed as her new chiropractor; Harako Tsukiyani kneaded the sore muscles in her lower back until the pain was a thing of the past.

"You have the mother of all knots in your back." Harako said, frowning, "you should cut down on the stress."

"'S the exercise. I do judo." Serena lied, hissing slightly when Harako hit a particularly sore spot.

"Well I think you need to stretch more beforehand." Harako said sternly. "There we go, all done. See Sadako on your way out, and she'll tell you how much you owe."

"Right." Serena nodded, and fished in her pocket for her purse, having already calculated the price, and was panicked to find it somewhere in the 30,000 yen range. She decided then and there that she _had_ to get a job.

~Serena's Room, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo has logged on._**

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555 has logged on. _**

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ hey, 'rena!_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ hey yaself. how iz ya, matty?_

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ pretty good. y u online? 's three am, no?_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ ya. but gotta get a job. 'side from fightin' evil. not that that doesn't have its benefits…but there's no health plan, or money. and i need money for chiropractor._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ life sucks, right?_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ for sure. b4 i 4get, how iz _u_? coz i haven't spoken 2 u in a while._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ 'm pretty good. mia got ur letter. she sayz hi._

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ cool. she go by mia now?_

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555: _**_ya. strange, huh?****_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ not really. what else has bin hapnin?_

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ not much, actually. it's bin real quiet_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo: _**_hmm…anything to do with me not being there?_

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ most likely :-P_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ bitch._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ so wat 'bout u? ne thin new?_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ yes. 'm Et Sailor Moon._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ duh._

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo: _**_well neway, i've participated in two battles now. 's strange…i've pretty much got evry1's fighting styles figured out, and 'm getting good at hiding. met helios too._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ helios?_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo: _**_he's the Guardian of Dreams. a real cute bloke, blonde hair, shy dreamy eyes. has a thing 4 rini, and she has 1 4 him 2._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ rini?_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo:_**_ my daughter from the future. see, darien and i eventually get married, and have rini. she's princess serenity too, princess rini for short. 'm neo-queen serenity, and darien is king darien. 's cool._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555:_**_ sounds that way. ack, must go, tty l8r?_

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo: _**_ya. bai._

**_HawaiianPrincessMatty555 has logged off._**

**_MoonlitPrincessTokyo has logged off._**

Serena leant back, a satisfied smile on her lips. It was nice talking to Matty again. Her cell rang, and she quickly picked it up.

"**Moshi moshi.**" {Hello. (for phone only)} She said brightly.

"Hello, Sere-chan." Kimi-chan's voice said brightly. "I is wonder you want going shopping?"

"Su-" Serena's voice died away as she heard a familiar beeping of a certain communicator. "Damn, I can't," she said regretfully, "perhaps another time?"

"Sure. Maybe tomorrows. Must stay, Mama is calling." Kimi-chan sighed. "**Ja**."

"See you." Serena hung up, and grabbed her compact. "ETERNAL MOON POWER!" Moments later Sailor Moon snuck out of the window, hurrying towards The Park…

**Hel-kun:** Helios (affectionate)

**Ja: **see you


	9. Ch 8: Illness

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Illness

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated. 

~The Park (and doesn't a heck of a lot happen here?), Tokyo~

"Take that!" Sailor Moon cried triumphantly, hitting her nega-scum over the head with her Moon Scope. It was dark, so she knew the other Scouts wouldn't see it. She turned on the next one, as the fishy-creature slumped to the ground. This one also had a rather fishy-appearance, although it looked more like a cod than a goldfish. "_Selene Mirror Implosion!_" She yelled, and watched as about twenty Sailor Moons surrounded the nega-sleaze, making short work of it before disappearing again.

Meanwhile, the other Scouts were faring just as well. Unfortunately, Sailor Moon paid for her lapse in concentration, one of the monsters managed to slash its elbow fin across the ridge of her left collarbone. She gasped in slight pain, and turned around. "That's it," she growled, so low that no one but her and the monster could hear, "you're moon dust. _Starfire Burning._" That was all it took to cause the scaly creature to bust into silver spangles. Sailor Moon's wound glowed silver in the moonlight, before the silver-blue liquid seeped into her bloodstream, leaving her blood as red as before…

~Serena's Bedroom, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Serena tossed and turned; kicking the blankets off for a moment, before pulling them back on, her teeth chattering.

"I will not throw up," she told herself sternly, "I will not, I will not, I will not." She buried her head under her pillow, and tried to get some sleep…

"Serena-san!" Someone banged on the door. "Serena-san! Wake up! It's 7.30!"

"G'way." Serena mumbled.

"Serena-san!" Sighing, Serena got up, realising that she'd never get any peace. The room lurched around her for a moment, but Serena forced the nausea away angrily.

"'M up!" She yelled back, staggering around and pulling on her uniform. She tugged her hair into a ponytail, too exhausted to bother with her odangos. Tiredly, she headed out…

~Juuban High School, Tokyo~

Serena sat through her classes that day unable to concentrate on anything. Nor was she able to eat at break, or at lunch. Even the smell of food was making her feel ill. Luckily, the room had stopped spinning every single time she got up or sat down, but even Kimi-chan – who wasn't the world's most observant person – had noticed that something was wrong.

"**Genki da, Sere-chan?**" {Are you ok, Serena?} She asked as they left their last class of the day, **Ryoori**.

"**Hai, genki da.**" {Yes, I'm fine} Serena replied wearily, "Just a little tired."

"Ok…look, here's Rei-san. **Ja, Sere-chan.**" {Bye, Serena}

"Bye, Kimi-chan."

Serena wearily followed Rei and her friends, not even bothering to see who was with her. She knew Darien was there, she could sense him, but other than that, there could have been anyone. Stoically, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, not even realising that the world was spinning until just before it spiralled into darkness…

~Selene's Castle, Nothingness~

_Serena sat in front of the mirror, watching the rest of the Scouts crowd over her inert form._

**((Ok, remember that the mirror translates Japanese into Serena Warren's first language for her^_^))**

_$"Is she alright?" Darien asked._

_"Of course not." Ami said. "She's unconscious. But I don't know why. Her vital signs are good, and it's not like there's been something wrong with her eating habits or anything…"_

_"Well," Lita picked the tiny blonde up, "let's take her to Darien-san's. Probably the safest place. She may have been infected by some Nega-Sleaze somehow. Look at Molly. Y'know, she's light. Lighter than…" the husky brunette's voice trailed off. Mina sniffed slightly, and the Outers looked on, worried expressions on their faces._

_"Well, let's get going then." A purplish coloured kitten by the name of Diana said briskly. Rini absently petted her kitten's head, and all the Planet Pals headed for Darien's apartment…_

_"Ok, what are we going to do?" Hotaru asked the moment they were shut up in the apartment. "We can't call a doctor, because she could be possessed, in which case we might inadvertently spread it, and yet, none of us are qualified in case she really _is_ hurt."_

_"Well," Michelle said, "that's not technically true. I'm studying biology and human development, and Ami-chan's mom is a surgeon. I think we can figure out if it's something life threatening." At that moment, Serena moaned, shifting on the couch so that her school blouse moved to one side, revealing a glowing wound._

_"Well, I think we can rule out any normal illness." Amara said dryly. "This is Nega-Trash at its best."_

_"Oh dear." Luna said worriedly, "What are we going to do?"_

_"Kill her?" Amara suggested, only half joking._

_"Ama-chan!" Michelle scolded. "It's not her fault!"_

_"I know, Mi-chan." Amara said, smiling gently at the green-haired girl. Michelle sighed, smiling back._

_"Ok, major PDA." Rini said, giggling. Hotaru nodded. _

_"Definitely. I don't need to see my adopted parents doing _that_." She said, her mouth tilting into a grin._

_"We're going to have to take off her blouse." Ami announced. Amara raised an eyebrow._

_"Has Greg-kun got something to be jealous about, Ami-chan?" She asked playfully. Ami blushed at the mention of her boyfriend._

_"Of course not," she said, "but Michelle-san and I should check out Serena-san's torso, to see if there're anymore marks. Darien-kun, Rini-chan, Hotaru-chan, Trista-san, Amara-san, Mina-chan, Lita-cha, Rei-chan, I think you should leave."_

_"What? Why?" Lita looked up from where she'd been appraising Darien's cookbooks._

_"Because I doubt Serena-san will be glad that _any_ of us saw her bare torso. Let's not embarrass her too much." The rest of the Planet Pals could see Ami's point, and nodded, leaving like they'd been asked._

_Ami turned back to Serena the moment they'd gone, quickly divesting the smaller girl of her blouse and bra. She checked over the blonde's body in a business-like fashion. Finally, she replaced Serena's clothing, and turned to Michelle, who had been watching her, not feeling comfortable enough to do anything._

_"Is she ok?" Michelle asked. She wasn't close to Serena-san like she had been to Sere-ko, but the fact that the two blondes were identical made her worried about this one too._

_"She'll be fine…I hope." Ami said, running a hand through her short hair, "but I'm worried about that cut. It's definitely nega-worthy. There's an intense feeling of evil radiating from that gash, and the fact that it's glowing silver is definitely cause for concern." Michelle nodded, a frown marring her pale delicate features._

_"For sure." She said fervently. "Y'know…it's strange… she got it straight after we battle Kistenia and her fish-things."_

_"You're right…" Ami said slowly. "Perhaps she was captured by the Nega-Verse beforehand. Omigod! She could be possessed!" Michelle rolled her eyes at Ami. For such a smart girl she sure could be dense. But Michelle wasn't going to pry. If Ami didn't want to admit that Serena-san was the mystery warrior, then Michelle wasn't going to make her…_

_Ami called the others back in._

_"'S all clear." She said when Hotaru poked her head around, looking slightly alarmed. They all headed back in._

_"What's wrong with her, do you know?" Diana, Rini's kitty, and the future offspring of Luna and Artemis asked._

_"No idea, but I think she's going to be ok."$_

At that moment, the mirror disappeared from in front of Serena's eyes, and she gasped out loud, eyes opening for a second, and taking in the sight of the Scouts all standing in front of her. Her back arched, and a blinding silver light forced its way out of her body, turning black oh so slowly, and covering her whole body.

"Just let me die, Selene…" Was all she said before lapsing into unconscious again…

~Selene's Castle, Nothingness~__

_Serena opened her eyes to see a girl who looked like a younger Selene hovering over her, stroking her cheek gently._

_"You're going to be alright," the girl told her, "I'm going to make you well again." She placed both hands over Serena's left collarbone, and the cut slowly closed up, the silver/black light being pulled out, and dissipating in the mist that surrounded them. The mist that made up the girl's clothing. "Now sleep…sleep and heal…"_

_The next day, Selene led her to the mirror again. _

_"Why am I here?" Serena asked as she sat down, feeling a twinge of pain. The poison still circulated through her blood, it took longer than just a day for even the Goddess of Healing, Phoebe, Selene's sister to help her. Selene smiled._

_"You wish to know what is going on, do you not?" Serena nodded._

_"Well, watch then." Selene touched the mirror. The silvery surface glowed for a moment, and a picture appeared, growing bigger._

_$"We're going to have to leave her here." Rei said regretfully, "We don't want anything happening to her, and I can't trust Grandpa to watch her constantly."_

_"But…I'm not a nursemaid!" Darien protested for the thousandth time._

_"Doesn't matter." Michelle replied, also for the thousandth time._

_"Please, Darien, none of us can do it. Unless you wish to pull Hotaru and Rini out of school for as long as this may take, since the rest of us have exams." Ami lied slightly._

_"No way is Hotaru missing out on school." Michelle said, Amara nodding quickly._

_"And Rini isn't either." Darien agreed, looking at his daughter sternly. The pink haired girl pouted._

_"Spoil our fun." She muttered to Hotaru. The dark-haired girl giggled._

_"Well, then." Mina said brightly, "You're the only candidate, Darien-kun. Now, we have to get to school, see you." Rini gave Darien a hug, and all the Scouts headed out of the apartment, leaving Darien alone with the unconscious Serena.$_

_Serena watched the mirror with something akin to fascination as Darien walked over to his couch, and stroked Comatose-Serena's cheek gently._

_"So beautiful." He murmured, before jerking his hand back and blinking in surprise. Serena giggled. The poor guy. She knew why he was attracted to her, his soul called out to hers. But he thought that his soul mate was the deceased Serena Tsukino, not the very-much-alive Serena Warren…_

~Selene's Castle, Nothingness~

_"You're enjoying this, aren't you." Selene said, smiling down at Serena, who sat in front of the mirror again, watching Darien potter about his living room, rearranging his CD's, and looking at her comatose self fondly every so often, before frowning in confusion._

_"No!" Serena lied. Selene gave her a 'look'. "Ok, so I am. 'S funny is all. He's so confused. Poor bugger."_

_"Poor bugger is right, if he has to deal with you." Phoebe said childishly, shaking her pale hair._

_"Enough, Phoebe." An elderly crone said, frowning over her crystal ball. Hecate, goddess of fertility and war was still beautiful, even in her old age, and although her face was lined, the serenity in it shone through. Like the others, she had silver eyes and white hair, and wore a grey gown made out of the mist that surrounded Selene's home. Also like her sisters, she had a silver crescent on her head. On Phoebe, the crescent was almost colourless, hardly noticeable from the paleness of her skin. Upon Selene, it was darker, defined, and yet, not. However, Hecate's was the darkest of all, shining a bright silver that was almost blinding._

_"Enough, both of you." Selene said sternly when Phoebe opened her mouth to retort. "Serena, you have been with us for a week. How are you feeling?"_

_"Really bad…" Serena began to lie, stopping when Selene gave her 'the look', "Ok, I'm fine. Never better. And I've put on all the weight that I lost two years ago. In fact, I don't think I've _ever_ been this healthy. What of it?"_

_"Phoebe, your diagnosis?" Selene turned to her little sister, who quickly stopped poking her tongue out at Hecate._

_"She's fine." Phoebe said sulkily. "Good as new. She can go back whenever you want."_

_"Good." Selene turned to Serena, picking her up by her shoulders and setting the small blonde on her feet. She touched Serena's crescent mark with one hand. "Wake…"_

**Ryoori:** home ec


	10. Ch 9: InvisibleMan

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Invisible-Man

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** Spooky villain who is focus for the story turns up in this chapter. A 1,000 or more word story to the person who can figure out who inspired him…Your choice of HP of SM, pairing, rating, genre (please not angst, I'm not very good at angst), and POV. Also person, i.e. first, second, or third. 

I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Darien's Living Room, Darien Chiba's Apartment, Tokyo~

Serena opened her eyes with a gasp, and sat up, clutching the place just about her collarbone, feeling for the wound. All that remained was a small white scar, with a silhouette of a silvery crescent moon over it.

"Are you all right, Serena-san?" Darien asked.

"F-fine." Serena said. "Wh-what h-happened?" She shivered, and Darien draped a blanket over her shoulders.

"You fainted." 

"O-oh…where am I?" Serena couldn't seem to stop shivering. Darien must have seen this, for his face softened even more.

"You're at my apartment." He replied. Tentatively, he reached out, and stroked the side of her face. Serena sighed, leaning into his touch. "Is this ok?" He asked quietly.

"It's more than ok," Serena replied, smiling up at him. Suddenly, Darien jerked his hand away, that same confused look on his face.

"Who are you?" He asked. "Really?"

"Serena Warren." Serena was puzzled.

"Aside from that. There's something…familiar about you, Serena-san. What is it?"

"I look like your ex?" Cruelly, Serena reminded Darien of Sere-ko, needing to see his reaction. However, Darien did not flinch, nor did his face drop. 

"No, it's more than that," he persisted, "there's more to _you_ than that. Tell me everything."

"It's a very long story." Serena said softly, unable to deny those deep blue orbs.

"We have all day." Darien replied. "So, as you Americans say, 'shoot'."

"Well," Serena said, "It all began a bit before my thirteenth birthday… …and here I am." She finished, having told him everything.

"Wow…I never knew a teenage girl's life could be so complicated." Darien shook his head. "So…you and Sere-ko swapped places?"

"Yes…I suppose I am the inadvertent murderer of Sere-ko." Serena said sadly. "After all, she probably would have survived that crash if it hadn't been for me. I'm sorry." She bowed her head. _You idiot! _She was telling herself; _he'll _never_ like you now!_

"Don't be," Darien replied, tipping her chin up, "after all, can you imagine how crushed she would have been, had she lived? How would you feel, knowing that your brother, mother, and father had all died in a plane crash which would kill a _normal_ person, but you didn't die, because you were a superhero?"

"I…dunno…probably pretty bad." Serena murmured. "But I don't have parents, or siblings."

"But how would _Sere-ko_ have felt?" Darien persisted.

"How am _I_ supposed to know?" Serena snapped. "I'm not her. I never _was_ Sere-ko, nor will I ever _be_ Sere-ko! Why does everyone keep mistaking me for Sere-ko?! Why do you all expect me to know how she felt?!"

"Serena-san, I only asked because you said you'd been dreaming of her." Darien said bluntly.

"Oh…" Serena blushed. She'd gotten a bit carried away in her rant because she was tired of people mistaking her for Sere-ko. And she especially didn't want the man she lo…_liked_ doing so. "Well, I reckon she'd be really depressed, but that's just my opinion."

"What does 'reckon' mean?" Darien asked, looking confused.

"Oh, sorry. It means 'think'." Serena told him.

"All right…" Darien shook his head. "So you're the one that's been helping us?"

"Yes." Serena nodded. "Want proof?"

"If you don't mind." Darien looked apologetic.

"Of course not. If you told me this time a couple of years ago that I would be sitting here with you, about to turn into a superhero, I wouldn't have believed it either. ETERNAL MOON POWER!" She heard Darien gasp as she began the transformation. She couldn't help but be amused. How ironic that he would view her transforming twice when she had virtually given him permission, and that he should be surprised by it twice. "Believe me now?" Sailor Moon asked. Darien nodded dumbly. "Good." She transformed back into Serena, sighing with relief. The boots were annoying.

Suddenly, a bout of vertigo hit her, and she wobbled. Darien reached out, pulling her onto the couch next to him, an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady.

"Thanks…" Serena murmured, resting her head against his chest.

"Is this alright?" Darien asked in reply, referring to the fact that his arm was still around her shoulders.

"F-fine…" Serena said, scootching closer so that she was almost sitting in his lap. Darien shifted so that they were both more comfortable. Unfortunately…or fortunately…this left their faces less than a breath apart, and their lips so close that Serena could almost _taste_ the dark haired man beside her. Darien's head dipped down towards hers, and Serena's eyes closed upon contact.

His lips were warm and soft, slightly chapped the way most men's are…and he tasted divine. Serena opened her mouth slightly, allowing Darien's tongue to enter, and to trace every crevice inside. She tasted cinnamon and chocolate, and something that she could only describe as pure _him_. He sighed, whispering something into her mouth. It took a few seconds for his words to pierce her lust-addled brain, then she pulled away. "What did you call me?" She demanded. Darien looked confused, and tried to pull her back to him, but she resisted. "What did you call me?"

"Serena-san." Darien said.

"No, you called me Sere-ko. I'm sorry, Darien-kun, but I will _not_ kiss someone who calls me by another name. I'm not going to be your living equivalent of a blow up doll." Without even thinking about the danger of going out in her present state, she opened the door, and stormed out, bare feet and all…

"How dare he." Serena snarled under her breath, storming down the street barefoot, not even noticing the glass that made its way into her sensitive soles. Every so often there was a strange 'pop' sound, as the glass was forced back out of her newly healed feet. While she was in the Nether-Realm, Phoebe had taught her body to heal itself.

'So I don't have to look at your annoying face for a while.' Was what she'd said while doing it. Serena smiled softly at the memory, and pushed her hair back from her face. _This ponytail is getting annoying. _She decided, _time to do something about it._ She sat down on a convenient bench, and pulled her hair out of the ponytail, the golden tresses tumbling over her shoulders and resting in a small pool in her lap. She knew if she stood up that the silky strands would reach her knees.

Carefully, she pulled another hair band out of her pocket, and she smoothed back her silky curls into her trademark style. The two _odangos_. 

"Nice." A voice chuckled by her ear. Serena turned around, but saw no one. Then she heard the clip of some scissors, and a few gleaming strands of hair fell into…darkness. The invisible hand brought the hair up to just below two glowing red eyes. There was the sound of someone inhaling. "Mmm…very nice, pet. 'S always good to find someone with sweet-smellin' 'air." Serena slapped the arm out of the way when it reached out to touch her cheek, instinctively knowing where it was.

"Don't touch me." She snarled. "I'm not anybody's plaything. ETERNAL MOON POWER!" 

"Well, well, well," The thing said, "Sailor Moon. How fittin' that you should transform in front of me, and give me the information I need to destroy you."

"Well, guess what. Not gonna happen. 'Fraid that information ain't ever gonna be used 'pet'." Sailor Moon sneered. 

"How you gonna do that? Gonna 'dust' me, luv?" Invisible-Man mocked.

"Might. Haven't decided." Idly, Sailor Moon twirled the Kaleid Moon Scope between her fingers like a baton. "Decided now. _Planet Rage Inferno!_" She watched dispassionately as the Invisible-Man burst into flames. Only when the remaining sparks floated all around her did she leave.

Because of that she didn't see the sparks reform themselves into a living monster. The monster chuckled to himself.

"Well, looks like the girl has more strength than 'd thought." He said. "Better keep an eye on 'er. 'll be seein' you, pet…"


	11. Ch 10: What? You don't think Sere ko etc

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** What? You don't think Sere-ko and I met by _chance_ do you?!

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Front Entrance, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Serena walked slowly towards the Shrine, the exhaustion of turning into Sailor Moon twice, and performing a difficult attack getting to her. Especially seeing as they were attacks that Selene had shown her, and since they weren't specifically hers, they were very hard to control. The entire group traditionally performed the one she'd used to kill Invisible-Man, with Sailor Mars focusing it since she was the Scout tied to the element of fire.

As a result, she was absolutely knackered, and light-headed all over again. She staggered inside, and went straight to her room, curling up on her futon and going to sleep.

"I FOUND HER! SHE'S IN HERE!" Were the words Serena awoke to the next morning. She sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes, and looked around groggily.

"Hel-kun?" She asked.

"**Hai, Sere-hime. Asa o genki desu ka?**" {Yes, Princess Serenity. How are you feeling this morning?} Helios bowed low as he stood in her doorway. 

"Fine, Hel-kun. Please, can you talk in English? I'm still feeling a bit strange."

"Of course, Princess. My apologies." Helios bowed again, just as Rini and Hotaru walked in.

"**Hel-chan? Nani o kitte imasuka?**" {Helios? What are you talking about?} Rini asked.

"**Dame, Rini-hime.**" {Nothing, Princess Rini.}

"Hel-kun, English? Remember?" Serena prompted.

"Oh! I am so sorry Princess Serenity!"

"Princess Serenity?" The pink haired adolescent repeated, suspicion in her eyes.

"Yes, Princess. Didn't you know that Serena-"

"-Is very tired." Serena interrupted, "And doesn't need any undue stress, _ok, Helios-san?_" Helios flinched at the sternness in her tone.

"Of course, Your Highness. So sorry." Helios bowed out, and Serena buried her head into her pillow in frustration.

"What was he talking about, Serena-san?" Hotaru asked softly, her dark eyes serious. She walked over to Serena, and sat down on the side of her mattress. 

"I don't think you really want to know." Serena said honestly.

"Please, tell us. **Oba Trista-chan** is worried, and I want to know why."

"Hmm…" Serena reached out to the stationary beside her bed. It was a creamy colour, with silver etching. Quickly, she wrote a short note telling the Scouts to meet her outside the Shrine at 5pm tomorrow, leaving it unsigned. She handed it to Hotaru. "Give that to Rei-san. All will be revealed tomorrow. And not a word." Both girls nodded, and they slipped out of the room. Sighing, Serena got up, and climbed out the window.

~The Next day, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Serena hid behind a building, watching as everyone turned up. She tugged her hair nervously, which, for once, wasn't in the usual style. Instead, it was in a long plait that went all the way to her knees, ending in a pink hair-band. A white cotton sundress caressed her slender body, showing the small scar on her collarbone, and her feet were bare. 

She had concentrated hard for hours, and the crescent mark on her forehead glowed softly. Quietly, she stepped out, and walked over to them, yet none of them noticed her until she stood right in front of them. A breeze had blown up, whipping her dress and hair around her gently.

"Hello." She said serenely, looking at the Inner and Outer scouts, and Darien and Rini. "I was not sure if you would show. I'm glad you did."

"Who are you?" Trista, or Sailor Pluto, demanded, her red eyes gleaming.

"I am Serena Warren, descendant of the Moon Goddess Selene, Princess Serenity of the Moon, and Sailor of the Moon. And you are Trista Meiou, Princess of Pluto, Guardian of the Time Gates, and Sailor of Pluto. Correct?" Serena smiled slightly, still standing in front of them all.

"Liar," Mina snarled, "Serena Tsukino is descendant of the Moon Goddess Selene, Princess Serenity of the Moon, and Sailor of the Moon. You are an impostor."

"I beg to differ, Princess Mina. I am indeed who I said I was. You see; Sere-ko and I needed what the other had. We exchanged lives, so to speak."

"You're the reason she died." Amara said suddenly. "Bitch! She-devil! Demon! Nega-Scum!"

"I suppose I am indirectly responsible for her demise." Serena's eyes glowed with tears. A single crystalline drop spilled down her cheek, and Darien followed its progress, entranced. "I did not mean to. Sere-ko was in many ways my best friend. She and I shared a soul. But now I have that soul. Sere-ko wanted nothing more than to be normal. Did any of you know that? I suspect you did, Luna. Not that you cared. 

"You tore her away from her version of normalcy, forced her to be something she did not wish to be. I was her only confidante. Unfortunately, we lost touch. However, we found each other again. Sere-ko and I switched. My normal life for her abnormal one. We were both willing, in fact, I was more than willing, considering I desperately wanted to meet the people she talked about so passionately. And now I see why she did." 

Serena's eyes were warm. "I couldn't think of anyone who deserved a friend like Sere-ko…but perhaps you did…although I'm not quite positive than _any_ soul was ever deserving of her friendship." She added thoughtfully. "But anyway, I'm getting off topic. I am now Sailor Moon, and, as you saw last night, I am fully qualified to kick some Nega-booty."

"Oh yeah? Well if you're Princess Serenity, who am I?" Rini asked. "Your cousin, right?"

"Incorrect. You're my daughter, Princess Serenity the second. I was Princess Serenity, named after my mom, Queen Selenity, then I had you, and you were named after me. I became Neo-Queen Serenity, and you became Princess Serenity, or Princess Rini. However, right now you are posing as Rini Tsukino, Serena's cousin. 

"You first arrived about a year or so ago, and demanded the Silver Moon Crystal. And might I just mention that it's a very good thing you didn't get it, because you'd have most likely ruined things so that you were never born anyway, so you wouldn't have been able to go back in time, in which case you would have been born, meaning that you would have gone back in time, and stopped yourself from being born…ok, I'm getting a headache." Serena shook her head. "But as I was saying, you're posing as Sere-ko's cousin. So…are you living with your dad or something?" Rini nodded, seeming unable to lie. "Ok. Well, anything else you want to know?"

"There's _a lot_ we want to know." Lita began in a rather growly tone, but Serena held up her hand. 

"It'll have to wait." She said simply, "Jeez, when those Nega-brats get going they never stop, do they? ETERNAL MOON POWER!"

Exchanging glances, the rest of the company followed her example.

"MERCURY STAR POWER!" Ami yelled.

"MARS STAR POWER!" Rei's hair swirled in the sudden wind, and Lita gave Serena final glare before adding her own incantation.

"JUPITER STAR POWER!"

"VENUS STAR POWER!" A golden light surrounded Mina instantly.

"MOON PRISM POWER!" Rini tossed her hair, glaring at Serena.

"PLUTO STAR POWER!" Trista's staff appeared in her hands, and the small, dark haired Hotaru followed suit.

"SATURN STAR POWER!"

"NEPTUNE STAR POWER!" Michelle gripped Amara's hand tightly, as they said their transformation incantation in unison.

"URANUS STAR POWER!" Sailor Moon lounged against the side of the building, waiting for the rest of the Scouts to catch up. Eventually, they were all ready, even Tuxedo Mask, who, with a swirl of his cape and a red rose, became the man she had known and loved for as long as she could remember. Even _before_ she'd begun dreaming there'd been something missing.

"We ready to go?" She asked. The rest of the Scouts nodded dumbly, obviously more used to Sere-ko's 'follow-everyone-else' personality. "Great." She knelt down slightly, gathered her muscles, and sprang, like a cat, directly onto the roof. She then leant down, gripping Sailor Chibi Moon's hand, and Sailor Saturn's and yanking them up. She began to run, leaving everyone else to follow however they could…

"**Machi Nasai!**"{Stop right there!}Sailor Moon yelled at the Nega-Monster. The snake-like woman turned around, and her yellow-eyes flashed.

"Eternal Sssailor Moon." She hissed in English. "I thought you were dead."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Sailor Moon said sweetly, enjoying the small flash of disappointment in the monster's eyes when she spoke English as well. "Who are you?"

"**Hebako Sssenshi**." {Lady Snake Warrior (Senshi being the Japanese word for warrior, but hey, she hisses, so her 's' is drawn out ~**.**^)} The snake-lady said; sounding confused at Sailor Moon's manner. Obviously, they had met before.

"Cool. Nice to meet you. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong side, so I'm gonna hafta kill ya now." Sailor Moon smiled sweetly, and thwapped Hebako Senshi over the head with her Kaleid Moon Scope. Hebako Senshi fell to the floor, just in time for the rest of the Scouts to arrive. "Glad you could make it." She said sarcastically, then looked at the Kaleid Moon Scope, deciding to use Sailor Moon's original attacks, before realising that she couldn't remember them. "Er…how do I kill her? Coz although this is good for hitting the snaky-bitch over the head with, I don't think that'll be fatal. I 'spose I could try…" 

After staring at her blankly for a few moments, Luna managed to translate. Everyone else was _still_ staring blankly as Luna instructed Sailor Moon on what to say.

"Say Moon Gorgeous Meditation." The black cat said.

"Oh yeah. _Moon Gorgeous Meditation!_" Hebako Senshi shrieked, as she exploded into dust. "Pretty." Sailor Moon said, her lips twisting into something that slightly resembled a smile.

"Sailor Moon, look out!" Tuxedo Mask cried, just as one of the snaky-bitch's minions leapt onto her, and pushed her to the ground.

"Ouch, that hurt." Sailor Moon said, bucking her hips, and causing the monster to go flying.

"_Mars Fire Dragon Explosion!_" Sailor Mars said, and the monster burst into flames.

"Anyone else want a piece of me?" Sailor Jupiter growled, looking around at the remaining monsters. Said monsters took one look at the piles of dust at the brunette's feet, and disappeared. All except one who seemed to have trouble remembering how, a direct repercussion of Sailor Chibi Moon's strange attack. He was quickly dusted by Tuxedo Mask's cane.

Sailor Moon turned to all of them.

"Well, that's it." She said, mock-saluting. "Thanks guys, it's been real." She turned around, and disappeared into the night.

**Oba Trista-chan:** Aunt Trista


	12. Ch 11: A date

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** A date…

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Er…Tokyo? Random Places?~

Serena was awake way before Rei the next morning, and so the brunette had no chance to grab her before she headed off to school. Inside her head, Serena was giggling. She felt strangely happy, even after all that had happened. She bounced slightly as she walked

She'd never realised how much fun teasing someone could be, or messing with their minds. She tensed; as footsteps sounded behind her, and whirled around, ready to attack. She relaxed only slightly when she saw that the owner of the thudding feet was Darien.

"Darien-san," she said coolly, "what do you want?" He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Sere-ch…Serena-san," he corrected, "I wanted to apologise for the other night. And to tell you that it _wasn't_ Serena Tsukino that I was thinking about, it was you. I called you Sere-ko out of force of habit. But I really was thinking of you, not her."

"I'm sorry, Darien-san. I can't accept that. How would you like it if I…or Sere-ko…had called you by another name when you were kissing."

"I'm really sorry, Serena-san. Please, can't I make it up to you? Treat you to a movie? Or a picnic? Something?" He grabbed both her hands in a rather frantic way.

"Uh…" Serena thought about it. She really liked Darien…she might even love him if she gave herself permission…_which she wouldn't_…but she could give him one more chance…after all…it was only natural that he might mistake her for Sere-ko…they were so similar. "Alright. But this is your last chance. Like a make-up test."

"Good." Darien smiled, relieved. "What do you want to do?"

"How about we go to the Arcade and have a milkshake?" Serena suggested. 

"Right. This afternoon, after school? I'll meet you here?"

"Ok." Serena squeezed his hands gently. "I've got to go, or I'm going to be late for school."

Serena skipped the rest of the way to school, her face alight with laughter.

"Sere-chan!" Kimi-chan yelled out when she saw her. "Hi! Is you feeling ok now?"

"Fine. Isn't it a wonderful morning?" Serena grabbed Kimi-chan's hands, and swung her around in a circle.

"Ah…yes?" Kimi-chan posed it as a question.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Serena giggled.

"Why are the morning so good?" Kimi-chan asked.

"Because I'm going out with Darien-san!"

"The one you were looking at last week in the cafeteria?" Kimi-chan said, tilting her head to one side.

"Yes! We're going to the Arcade for a milkshake this afternoon!"

"Great. Will you talk Rei-san?" Kimi-chan questioned.

"Will I tell Rei-san? I'll tell her that I'm going on a date this afternoon, but not whom I'm going with. That's not really any of her business. We aren't friends or anything. Not yet." Serena tossed her hair, and looked over her shoulder just to see Mina and Ami walk in the front entrance. "Ah, there're Ami-san and Mina-san now. I'll tell them, and they can tell Rei-san." Serena strolled over to them.

"Ami-san? Would you mind passing on a message to Rei-san?" She asked politely. Ami smiled at her, but her blue eyes were icy.

"Of course, Serena-san. What is it?" Mina was scowling at Ami, obviously angry that the blue-haired teen had decided to answer her.

"Could you please tell her that I mightn't be home until late, but not to worry, because I'm going out on a date?"

"Of course. Have fun." Serena grinned.

"Thank you." As she walked away she heard Mina call her a slut, and although it hurt she couldn't suppress the smile that took over her face at the thought of the shock the other blonde would experience upon seeing her worst enemy snogging Darien.

Serena shouldered her bag at the end of the day, and went into the Girl's toilets. 

"_Luna Pen Power, give me a casual but nice outfit to wear on a date._" She whispered. A slight pink glow surrounded her, and moments later she was wearing a white cotton sundress covered in pink flowers, with white sandals. She grinned down at herself, carefully applying a little lip-gloss in the mirror, before walking out and heading towards the entrance. 

Darien was there, waiting for her. Serena was slightly surprised; she'd skipped the last class because she didn't want the Scouts to know just yet, and also to give her some extra time to be ready. She strolled over to him, hugging him happily.

"Hey," She said, smiling. Darien grinned in response.

"Hello."

"Let's go, shall we?" Serena took his arm, and was about to walk off, when he stopped her.

"Why aren't you still in class?" He questioned, a frown marring his handsome features.

"Skipped the last period," Darien opened his mouth to object, and she quickly continued, "Don't worry; I'm ahead. 'S only maths. Can do it any old time." The brunette relaxed. 

"How did you know what I was going to say?" He asked. Serena shrugged, not wanting to get into that right now. She really didn't want to remind him of Sere-ko. Perhaps one day they could talk about it, but not now.

"Dunno. Let's go, shall we?" Was her only answer, bright and false. She couldn't help but wince. She sounded fake, even to her own ears. Amazingly enough, Darien didn't seem to notice. 

"Yes, let's." He said, and they walked off towards the Arcade…

"So," Darien took a sip of his coffee, "why did you skip maths?"

"Because I wanted to be ready. I didn't want to go out with you looking like a schoolgirl." The indulgent smile on Darien's face faded, as did the look of interest in his eyes. One of the things which had caused him to break up with Sere-ko, inadvertently thrown in his face by a slip of a girl who was, in all actuality, a year younger than his ex had been. 

"You are a schoolgirl." He said softly. 

"In body, yes. But not in mind and soul. I've seen, heard, done, learnt, and felt too much for that. Schoolgirls don't kill people. Nor do they turn into superheros, rid the world of evil, and return home in time for dinner." Darien's lips curved upwards for a moment, before the memories were squashed. "They hardly ever pick the man they're going to marry at the age of twelve either." Serena reached out to caress the side of Darien's face, but he pulled away.

"No matter. You are still a child." He persisted.

"No," Serena said firmly, slurping up some of her chocolate shake, "I am not a child. I wish I were, but I'm not. I haven't been one for a very long time, perhaps never. You know what it's like growing up without parents, don't you, Darien-kun." Darien nodded slowly. "Well, so do I. I grew up in an orphanage. 

"I was left on its doorstep the day I was born. At least your parents loved you. They _wanted_ you. Mine never did. So don't tell me I'm a child. No one who grew up without parents was ever fully a child. It doesn't work that way." There were tears shining in Serena's eyes, but for once she didn't care. "And what's more, you know I'm not a child. I won't be pushed away, Darien-chan. I won't. I care too much to have that happen. Not like Se…" 

Serena stopped talking, once again unwilling to remind Darien of his ex. She wished they could have met before Sere-ko, before all of this. But, right now, a stronger wish was that something would happen to distract Darien.

As Fate would have it, something _did_ happen. _Fate, _Serena decided as she drank the last of her milkshake, _had a strange sense of humour._


	13. Ch 12: When all hope is lost

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** When all hope is lost 

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~The Arcade, Tokyo~

For all her calmness of just moments ago, Serena couldn't help but gulp when she saw Mina and Lita walk into The Arcade. A small part of her hoped they wouldn't see her, but she knew they would. That was her luck.

"Serena-san, hello." Lita said frostily. Mina didn't even bother to talk to her.

"Hello, Lita-san." Serena said weakly. It was then that Mina noticed Darien. She blinked, and seemed to stop breathing. Slowly, her colour changed from healthy tan to pink, then red.

"Er…breathing is good." Serena offered. "Oxygen needed for life." Mina let out her breath in one swoop.

"Darien-kun," she said, "what is _she_ doing here with _you_?"

"_Sere-chan_ and I are on a _date_." Darien replied.

"This is the date you were talking about?" Mina cried angrily. "You little slut!"

"Hey, don't call me a slut." Serena snarled. "Just because we have our differences, that does _not_ give you the licence to call me a slut. You want a fight? Fine. I'll meet you at the park tomorrow after school. Sound good? Sorry, Darien-chan, suddenly I don't feel like this. I'll see you later." Serena got up, and kissed Darien softly on the cheek, putting ¥50 one the table before walking out…

~Platypus Enclosure, Tokyo Zoo, Tokyo~

"Well, well, well. Fancy seein' you again, pet." Serena whirled around, looking around her wildly. She saw nothing but a platypus swim by. She was in the Platypus Enclosure at Tokyo Zoo, and it was extremely dark.

"Who's there?" She called out, cursing her voice for sounding so pathetic.

"'S me, luv. Or don' you remember? Probl'y not, 'm guessin'. You were kinda spacey." The voice chuckled, and Serena finally placed it.

"_You_." She hissed.

"Me," Invisible-Man agreed. "'S the matter, pet? Not pleased t' see me? 'M 'urt, really I am."

"Why would I be pleased to see _you_? A, your evil, B, you cut off some of my hair, and C, you're supposed to be dead." Serena ticked off the reasons on her fingers.

"Sorry, t' dis'point. Kinda hard t' die 'f you ain't 'live in the firs' place."

"Imagine that." Serena said sarcastically. "ETERNAL MOON POWER!"

"Oh, no you don'." Invisible Man snarled, grabbing Serena's transformation brooch, "'m not goin' t' be conflagrated again. 'S damn painful." Serena scrambled to grab her semi-transformed clothes, which were now falling apart. Invisible-Man watched, or whatever. 

As she struggled to keep the clothing on her body, her communicator fell out of her pocket. It immediately dialled up the rest of the Scouts, calling them to the Tokyo Zoo, sending out the distressed signal. Invisible-Man didn't notice, and neither did Serena. "Now," he said, "time for some fun. You had your fun last time, this time, it's _my_ turn." 

Shadows wound around Serena's ankles, shackling them to the ground, before moving upwards and grabbing her arms too. Serena's clothes fell to the floor in tattered shreds, her, leaving her wearing nothing but her plain cotton bra and panties. Invisible-Man chuckled. "Well, well, hello Miss Priss." Serena blushed wildly, wishing that the floor would swallow her up. "Now…wha' t' do? 

"Hmm…in honour of your deceased…'twin'…I think 'll 'ave the Das'ardly Duo take care 'f you. 've got places t' go, pe'ple t' see. Bu' firs' gotta make it fair, don' I? Wouldn' be any fun otherwise." Invisible-Man clicked his fingers, and the shadowropes fell away. "Ta, ta, pet." Invisible-Man vanished, leaving behind Serena's brooch, and two women with black hair, black eyes, and dark skin, ready to fight her.

"Hello," they said in multi-tonal voices, "we are the Twins. We are here to kill you."

"Over my dead body." Serena growled, grimacing when she realised what she'd said. She grabbed her Kaleid Moon Scope off the floor, and brandished it with determination…

*** 

"Hiya!" Serena whacked one of the Twins over the head with the Kaleid Moon Scope, and dodged out of the way just as the other one leapt for her. She winced when a few strands of hair were yanked out of her scalp, and gulped when the first Twin grabbed her as she moved. Her head jerked up when the second twin punched her in the face. It was then that she caught sight of the Scouts, standing in front of her, watching. Not all of them. Only some. Pluto, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Uranus. _Help me,_ Serena pleaded in her mind, _please…_

But they just stood there, watching. Slowly, Serena began to lose the battle with consciousness, her wounds becoming too extensive for even her heightened healing to deal with quickly. Serena knew she was going to die if she didn't do something quickly. She had just about resigned herself to her fate, when a voice inside her head shrieked at her. 

_*No!* _

_Wh-what?_

_*You are_ not_ going to die! I forbid it!*_

Something seemed to take over her body, and Serena was no longer in control. Whoever had taken over rammed her knee into Twin One's stomach, then jerked her head to one side when Twin One went to hit her again, wheezing, instead hitting Twin Two. Twin Two let go of her arms as she fell to the ground, and the spirit that had taken over Serena's body promptly thwacked Twin One over the head with the Kaleid Moon Scope, this time hard enough to knock the bitch out. 

The spirit then left Serena's body, the blonde feeling a bit disorientated. Nevertheless, Serena refused to allow the Scouts to see her weakness, and so knelt down, picked up her clothes, and gave them a mock-salute. "Thanks for all the help." She said sarcastically, before walking off…


	14. Ch 13: Apologies

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Apologies

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Serena's Room, Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo~

Serena jammed her clothes into her suitcase, muttering under her breath as she did so.

"Stupid bloody Scouts, screw them, never gonna get my help again, letting Nega-Verse beat me up, don't care who gets hurt. And if they think I'm staying here they've got another thing coming. I'll live on the streets before I spend another night here with someone who wants to kill me." With that, Serena snapped open her cell, and called Darien.

"**Moshi moshi?**" {Hello?} Darien sounded sort of tired.

"Darien-chan, it's me."

"Sere-chan! Are you all right? You seemed stressed."

"I'm better. Can I stay with you?" In a few minutes Serena managed to tell him the whole story. Darien was silent for a few minutes. "Darien-chan? Are you there?" Serena asked, worried that he may have been in on the scheme.

"Yes…I'm here…but Sere-chan…I've got Rini-chan staying with me, remember? And she doesn't like to share…she'll be very annoying. She may even be nasty."

"Are you saying you don't want me there?" Serena felt tears spring into her eyes.

"No!" Darien said, "no, I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is, perhaps you should think of an alternative, before you go to such an extreme? What can it hurt to spend one more night at Rei-chan's? **Chikuso!** Sorry, Sere-chan…I've got to go…look, I'll speak to you tomorrow, and if you still want to leave, we can work something out, ok?"

"Fine. Talk to you later." Serena hung up. "Fat lot of help _you_ were." She snarled at the phone, before finishing her packing. No matter what Darien said, she was leaving tonight. Before the renegade Scouts gave up on waiting for her to be murdered, and committed the act themselves…

~The Park, Tokyo~

Serena walked through the park, musing at how almost all her walks led her to parks. Odd. She could sense someone following her, but was confidant she could take him or her on, and so did nothing about it, until they laid a hand on her shoulder.

"**Serena-san?**" {Serena?}

"**Kino-san.**" {Miss Kino (very polite. In this situation, indicates you don't know the person very well, or you don't like them very much)} Serena said coldly. "What do you want?" Lita winced, obviously not expecting such a cold reply. Nor did she probably like seeing eyes so like the dead Sere-ko's looking at her coldly.

"I wanted to talk without you." She said carefully, "you made a mistake."

"_I_ made a mistake?!" Serena cried, outraged. Lita looked shocked, and shook her head wildly.

"No, no I make mistake. I want to apologise for not help. I should help. It is my duty. Friend?" Lita held out her hand, and looked at Serena hopefully, Serena jerked away, eyes blazing.

"No, not friend. I can't be friends with someone I can't trust, and I can't trust someone who will stand by and watch me be beaten to death. So not friends." Lita's face fell.

"Sorry…" she whispered. "I realise what I did was wrong. But can't you give me a chance?"

"Kino-san," Serena said, suddenly exhausted, "I've given you all chances. Chances to make things right, chances to see I'm not the villain, chances to be my friend. I've done everything I can think of to make you understand. All of you. And yet only Rini-san, Hotaru-san, and Darien-chan seem to have listened to me. The rest of you have not. But Ami-san and Michelle-san weren't there last night either. They didn't watch me be beaten by a couple of Nega-Scum, and do nothing about it. They probably didn't even know I needed help, did they?" Lita shook her head, looking very ashamed of herself.

"Please, Serena-san? Just one more chance? I won't disappoint." Lita pleaded. Serena thought it over. Something in her soul urged her to accept, saying that Lita was trustworthy, and that she had nothing to lose. _Except my life._ She thought cynically, effectively shutting up that inner voice. However, she decided to take its advice anyway.

"Ok," she said, "but there's just one thing…" Lita looked nervous. "Can I stay at your place?" The brunette's face broke into a smile.

"Of course!" She exclaimed. "Come along, we shall go there now. Can you sleep on the couch?"

"Easily. I think I'm narcoleptic." Lita grin widened, although Serena was pretty sure the Japanese girl hadn't gotten the joke, grabbed Serena's suitcase, and headed towards her apartment…

Gleaming silver eyes appeared in the darkness, and an unseen mouth smiled. Things were going quite nicely…

~Lita's bedroom, Apartment 20A, **Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo**, Tokyo~

Serena giggled at Lita's story about the time they'd been trying to find the rainbow crystal a little girl was supposed to hold, and it had turned out to be the girl's cat. 

"I was the last one in, and we all trip, so I am at angle I can see down Ami-chan's skirt. It is very embarrassing, I can tell you. I never telling Ami. She go…how you say…crazy."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Serena chuckled. Her stomach growled, and she checked her watch in surprise. "Wow," she said, "I can't believe how late it is. I'm starved."

"I make food." Lita said immediately, getting up from her perch.

"No," Serena said, "I'm imposing on _you_. I'll cook."

"If you anything like Sere-ko, I don't want you near my kitchen." Lita said firmly.

"Don't worry, I can cook." Serena said truthfully. She could cook. It was just that toasters didn't like her.

"I come and show where things are." Lita said, and both girls went into the kitchen, where Serena proceeded to make a stack of hotcakes that rivalled Mickey D's.

"Yum," Lita said a few moments later, "these are good. When you learn how cook so well?"

"I'm an orphan," Serena began.

"Oh, **gomen nasai**, Serena-san, I not mean to make you feel pain."

"No, Lita-chan, you didn't let me finish. I'm an orphan, and I had to take part in the kitchen chores. My favourite was always cooking. Louie-chan and I – Louie-chan's one of my friends, her full name is Louisa Kiki – Louie-chan and I used to like to cook together. And my friends and I – we were the Galaxy Girls – we all loved hotcakes, and we didn't have much money to buy them, so Louie-chan and I would make them. You know what they say, practice makes perfect."

"They say that?" Lita asked, looking confused.

"Ah, **gomen, Lita-chan. Amerika-jin hyogen desu.**" {Sorry, Lita (informal). It's an American expression.}

"Ah. Ok, I understand. Well, I am tired. Are you?" Lita yawned as she said this, as if to prove her point.

"Yeah, I am at that." Serena said, suddenly realising what a long night it had been.

"The couch will be ok? Because you can sleep in my bed…"

"Don't be silly, Lita-chan. It's your bed. The couch if fine. **O yasumi nasai.**" {Good night.}

"**O yasumi nasai, Sere-chan. Omoshiroi yume omisau.**" {Good night, Serena. Pleasant dreams.} Lita headed for her room.

"**Hai. Anata mo.**" {Yeah, you too.} Serena yawned, snuggling under the blankets, and falling asleep…

**Chikusho: **damn

**Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo:** Cooking School Apartments

**Gomen Nasai:** I'm sorry


	15. Ch 14: The story is told again

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:**  The story is told…again

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~The Living Room, Apartment 20A,Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo, Tokyo~

Serena woke up the next morning feeling a bit strange. Her body knew it wasn't on the futon…or in its bed in Galaxy Dorm…so where was it? Her eyebrows drew together while she tried to figure it out.

Suddenly, all her memories of the day before came back to her. The showdown between her and Mina, the fight with Invisible-Man, the sabotaged transformation, the Dastardly Duo, the Scout betrayal, Darien's betrayal, Lita's apology, and their late-night conversation about the perks of hotcakes.

"Sere-chan?" Lita's voice said hesitantly, "Are you awake?"

"**Hai…ohayo, Lita-chan. Nemuri nan desuka?**" {Yeah…'morning, Lita-chan. Sleep well?}

"Yes. Are you hungry?" Lita walked fully into the room, already dressed. "**Gomen!** I thought you were up."

"Doesn't matter. And I am hungry. Lita-chan…" Lita turned around; she'd been hurrying out to give Serena some privacy.

"**Hai?**"

"Do you know where I might be able to get a part-time job?"

"You could try the **Soba-Yas**. They usually have jobs for students. And I think the one down the street just got an opening." Lita frowned, as though trying to remember something.

"Do you work there?" Serena asked.

"**Iie**. I don't need to work. My parents left me an **ooki** fortune when they…left…and I can live on it for my whole life quite frivolously."

"Oh…is it within walking distance?"

"**Hai**. Quite close, in fact. I will take you there after school. And I think you would work good there. You can cook well."

**"Oh, no, Lita-chan." Serena said, pleased. "I can't cook as well as you can."** Lita blushed.

"What would you like for breakfast?" She asked, changing the topic. Serena was glad, she didn't feel like getting into a social tête-à-tête. 

"It's ok, I'll get it." Serena said, getting up and crossing over to where her suitcase sat.

"No, I'll do it. I have to get my breakfast anyway." Lita said firmly.

"Well, just some toast. Whatever you're having."

"**Hai**. I will see you in a moment?"

"Sure." Serena dressed in her uniform as quickly as possible, then grabbed her laptop, remembering that she hadn't yet written Marnie a letter.

Marnie Watson was a waitress at The Magickal Bean Coffee/Shop and Internet Café, a new-age establishment on West Street in New York. She and Serena had met while Serena was talking to a Japanese girl on the net. This was back when Serena was a wreck from the prophetic Dreams she'd been having, which left her feeling exhausted and ill. She'd been stick-thin, and never eating. Marnie had offered to let Serena have her coffee and chocolate-chip cookie in the back room, away from prying eyes. They'd been fast friends from then on. 

Marnie was a sort of mother figure for Serena, always there when she needed advice, and to give her a shoulder to cry on. Serena knew that if she'd had a mom, she'd want them to be exactly like Marnie. Marnie had been the one who'd nicknamed her Rini, a name that stuck even now. After all, wasn't her daughter, Rini Tsukino's full name Serenity? And she was called Princess Rini for short.

_'Dear Marnie,'_ She wrote,

_'How are you? I'm fine, and the weather here's great._

_'Sheesh, what a terrible, impersonal way to start a letter! I'm sorry that I haven't written, Marnie. It's just been so…strange here! You've never seen anything like it, that I can promise you._

_'I don't just feel like I'm in a different culture, I feel like I'm in a different world! Everything is different. The schools, the language, the people, the reactions to different situations, even the food! I haven't had a decent cup of coffee since I got here! Nothing like one of your cups._

_'You spoiled me for the rest of the world, Marnie, you evil woman. Oh, Marnie, I miss you so much! I mean, I've finally made some friends (I have two, Marnie, two! I've been here for two months and I have two friends to show for it!) And a boyfriend. But Marnie, I feel so strongly about him! I shouldn't feel so much in so short a time. Surely it's a sin against God to put so much hope in one human soul!_

_'Oh, Marnie, I feel like if he left me I'd never be able to go on! And his friends hate me! How long 'til he hates me too? I don't think I could live with myself if he didn't like me!_

_'But enough about me, how have you been? Please write back soon, I'm so lonely._

_'Love, Serena.'_

Serena put the letter in an envelope, and addressed it in both Japanese and English, so there was no chance of it getting lost. Then she hurried into the kitchen for breakfast…

"So," Lita took a bite of her toast, "who were you writing to?"

"Wh-what?" Serena stammered.

"I saw you writing a letter when I went in to get you for breakfast. Please don't be angry, Sere-chan. I didn't mean to pry." Lita looked alarmed.

"**Matte, matte, Lita-chan!** There's no need to apologise," {Wait, wait Lita!} Serena said quickly, "I don't mind you being curious. You're my friend. You have that right." 

"Friends?" Lita asked in delight.

"**Hai. Anata, Lita-chan wa, atashi no tomodachi desu.**" {Yes. You, Lita, are my friend.} Serena said honestly. "I was writing to…my friend. She's kinda like my mom. Except…I'm an orphan. But ever since I met her she's been there for me, like a mom would be. She calls me Rini." 

Serena smiled softly. "She has a daughter named Celina, who she says looks like me but younger. Her nickname's Rini as well. That's why Marnie first started calling me Rini. Because I reminded her of her daughter. I met Celina a couple of times; baby-sat her when Marnie had to work. She's adorable, only a little kid, but as sweet as honey."

"Aw…" Lita smiled, "you know, for someone who's had such a hard life, you're surprisingly innocent. Like Sere-ko. But even more so. I don't get it."

"I don't either. It makes no sense to me at all. I didn't know Sere-ko like you did. I dreamt of life through her eyes, I thought her thoughts. Everything she did, said, thought, saw, heard, touched, ate, smelt, felt, I experienced as if it were me. So I knew her as a kind of alter-me. Sometimes it was so hard to distinguish between my dreams, and reality. Many times I called Rochelle-chan Rei-san, and Amelia-chan Ami-san. My dreams consumed my life. I slept all the time, yet I was exhausted because of the dreams. I barely ate because of how much Sere-ko consumed. I couldn't concentrate, I felt ill, I was dizzy, confused, an automaton."

"Poor thing." Lita said sympathetically. "Care to tell me everything else?"

"What about school?"

"Who cares? We'll catch up later." Lita said carelessly, a rather surprising attitude. However, Serena desperately needed to tell someone the whole story, and even Darien didn't know _every_ little detail.

"Ok, well here's goes." Serena took a deep breath, and began her story…


	16. Ch 15: Never turn your back on Nega Scum

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Never turn your back on Nega-Scum

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~ The Kitchen, Apartment 20A,Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo, Tokyo~__

"Wow…what was it like? Living in an orphanage? Didn't you miss your parents?" Lita asked, dumping a pile of carrots on the kitchen bench. Lita had invited Mina, Rei, and Amara around for dinner, but she hadn't told them that Serena was here. Apparently, they'd given her a big lecture about not being at school that day, and Lita had promised to explain tonight.

"Well…I didn't miss my parents, per se…more like the _idea_ of parents. You see; I never knew them, so I don't really miss them. I was left on the doorstep of the orphanage the day after I was born." Serena said, peeling and chopping the carrots deftly, before throwing them into the stew.

"Poor thing," Lita said sympathetically. "I didn't know my parents that well, either, they died. But at least I have some memories of them. And Darien-kun doesn't have parents either."

"I know; they died in a car-crash."

"Did he tell you that?" Lita said. "He never told anyone that. I heard it from Sere-ko."

"How d'you think _I _heard about it?" Serena teased. "**Lita-chan, baka da!**" Lita giggled, and threw some marshmallows at her. While Serena was making the main course, Irish stew, Lita was making the hot chocolate with marshmallows, which was going to be dessert.

"Then he must understand what you're going through better than anyone." Serena had admitted to Lita that she was often terribly hurt her parents hadn't kept her. Didn't they love her? Was she so abhorrent a person that they would dump her on a doorstep rather than bring her up.

"Not really," Serena sighed. "He knew his parents. Like you, he knew they loved him." Lita was silent for a moment, obviously thinking.

"Well," she began only to be interrupted by the door. "**Huso**! They're here. Is everything ready?" Serena tasted the stew.

"Yeah, this'll be done in a few seconds. Why don't you put the sushi on the table? And some drinks."

"What? I mean, what drinks?"

"White wine for the sushi, I'll get some red for the stew. Be back soon." She crossed to the window, and jumped out, landing neatly on her feet five stories below.

~The street…Tokyo~

Serena strolled happily down the street, swinging her purse around one arm, thinking about…well…nothing, really. At least, she was until she saw the Nega-Monster in front of her.

"Oh, great," she groaned. The monster walked towards her, a look of anticipation in its eyes. "Look," she said, "I really don't have time. I'm getting wine for dinner, and I'm expected back soon. How about I meet you in the park at sunset tomorrow, and I kill you then? It'll give you a bit of time to get your affairs in order."

"I don't think that's going to happen." The monster said; its red eyes gleaming by the light of the streetlamp, an evil smile spreading across its slimy green face, making the pocked surface even more hideous.

"Ok, fine." Serena took out her transformation brooch. "ETERNAL MOON POWER!" She transformed right in front of the surprised monster's eyes.

"What?" The monster gasped.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of love in justice. In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you. _Moon Gorgeous Meditation!_" The monster exploded into dust, and Sailor Moon shook her head, chuckling as she detransformed. They never learnt. 

Suddenly, she was hit in the back by a bolt of pure black energy. She gasped, suspended in motion for a moment, before she fell to the ground. And everything went black…

_*Lita Kino*_

~The Kitchen, Apartment 20A,Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo, Tokyo~__

Lita hummed as she set the table, waiting for Sere-chan to get back with the drinks. She couldn't believe how good it felt to have a new friend. Especially Sere-chan. She was warm, and funny, and smart. Same as Sere-ko.

It didn't hurt as much to think about Sere-ko anymore. Now the first sting of grief had passed, she could think about all the good times they'd had together. It was nice to be able to remember. Nice to think about the first friend she'd ever had at Juuban Junior High. Nice to think about the girl who went gaga for one of Lita's baking expeditions.

She went to the door, ushering Rei-chan, Trista-san, Mina-chan, Artemis-kun, Amara-san, and Michelle-san in. Somehow, she wasn't surprised. She'd been rather surprised that Michelle-san hadn't followed Amara-san to the park, and wondered how the blonde woman had stopped her girlfriend.

Lita sighed, as her conscience twinged. She'd known it was wrong, watching those nega-scum beating Sere-chan up, and not doing a thing about it. It was against everything she stood for as a Scout. And yet she'd stayed stock still, surveying the scene dispassionately, while Sere-chan implored them with her large eyes to help her.

"**Lita-chan, atashi to anata no nani o ikimasuka?**" {Lita, why are we here?} Trista-san asked.

"**Hai, nandesuka.**" {Yeah, why?}The other Scouts agreed.

"You're here," Lita replied in English, "because you wanted an explanation for why Sere-chan and I weren't in school today. We're going to give it to you as soon as she gets back."

"**Yoroshi,**" {Ok,} Amara-san settled down to wait, a cynical smile on her face, "**Atashi no kufuku imasu. Tabemono wa nani o arimasuka?**" {I'm hungry. Is there any food I can eat?}

"**Ama-chan, gehin janai da!**" (Amara, don't be rude!) Michelle-san scolded. "**Sumimasen, Lita-chan. Ama-chan no okatta ni kyoo desu.**" {I'm so sorry, Lita. Amara's really cranky today.}

"That's all right, Michelle-san. And I have got some sushi. And some white wine, if you'd like some." Lita passed around the first course, and glanced surreptitiously at her watch. Sere-chan had better be back soon.

**Hai:** yes****

**Soba-Yas:** Noodle Shops (Noodle Shops are the places most Japanese teens hang out after school, like we would hang out at a fish-and-chips shop, or Mickey-D's – McDonald's. They serve hot noodles in different flavours in under two minutes – like Maggi ^.^)

**Iie:** no

**Ooki:** big/large/enormous

**"Oh, no, Lita-chan." Serena said, pleased. "I can't cook as well as you can.":** The reason I highlighted this sentence is that in Japan, you don't say 'thank you' when you receive a compliment, you deny it, and sometimes return the compliment, as Serena did. This can go on for hours ^.^

**Lita-chan, baka da!: **stupid Lita!

**Huso: **fuck


	17. Ch 16: Disgust

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Disgust.

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

_*Lita Kino*_

~The Kitchen, Apartment 20A,Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo, Tokyo~__

Lita bit her lip. An hour had gone past, and no Sere-ko. This wasn't good.

"**Serena-san wa shinrai dekinai da.**" {Serena isn't very reliable.} Mina-chan observed, tipping her chair back.

"It's not that simple," Lita answered in English, "something's wrong."

"**Totemo nande?**" {So what?} Rei-chan shrugged, "**dare no sewaa o suru? Atashi to anata no mondai dekinai da.**" {Who cares? It's not our problem.}

"Yes it is. Don't you see?" Lita exclaimed, amazed by their stupidity. "She is the new Moon Princess. If she dies, the future never happens. Rini-chan is never born, and you guys never survive the fights Neo-Queen Serenity helps you with, because there _is_ no Neo-Queen Serenity, there _is_ no Crystal Tokyo, and there _is_ all of the troubles we've been fighting against, but without the help of the most powerful Scout of all. 

"There's only so many times and ways Trista-san can re-order time, and Lady Selene, the one who let all of this happen, and stopped Trista-san from being able to see who Sere-chan was in the first place, may stop Trista-san from being able to change time at all! Would that please you? Would you like that? To die, knowing that you betrayed the one person you swore to protect with your very lives?" 

The shocked looks on the other Scouts faces made Lita realise they really _hadn't_ known. "Gods," she said, "you never think past your hatred for what Sere-chan did to Sere-ko, do you? It never occurred to any of you that Sere-chan might be right. Perhaps Sere-ko really _did_ want a normal life. Heck, I know I do. I want a life where I don't have to worry that each day may be my last, and that one of my friends may die because my other friends hate her too much to help her. The Nega-Verse aren't the monsters. You guys are! Now get out. If you won't help me, I don't want to know you." Lita strode over, and kicked open the door, glaring at the girls challengingly. The next move was their's…

_*Serena Warren*_

~Even I don't know where they are…Brazil, maybe?~

Serena woke up somewhere far from home. Wherever home was, exactly. Was it the orphanage? Rei's house? Lita's apartment? Marnie's house? Where? But all that was irrelevant. First things first, where was she?

"You don't need to know." A dark voice said. That was how Serena thought of it. A dark voice. Someone stepped out of the shadows, ebony hair, skin the colour of the shadows, and a dress that shifted with her every movement, dark as night.

"Who are you?" She whispered. The woman smiled.

"You don't need to know that, either. All you need to know is that you're never getting out of here…alive."

"What?" Serena whispered. "What do you mean?" The woman came over, and slapped her hard across the face.

"I hate you, you little bitch," she hissed, "it's all your fault that I can't be out there, living my life."

"Wh-what?" The woman's voice took on a story-telling quality.

"Ever since your blasted mother took over the Moon Kingdom, our life down here on Earth has been different." The woman looked dreamy, as though she wasn't all there. "Your lights and your parties, they shone down here…we Shadowmancers weren't important. We faded away.

Then, for a few years, everything was good. The MoonLight went out. Shadowmancers ran free again, melting in and out of the shadows, creating nightmares. Until three years ago. Then it came back. And it's all your fault!" The woman glared at her, breathing harshly. "But I'm going to kill you," she continued, "and then I'll kill your friends. I'll kill them all!" She cackled loudly, head thrown back. 

_She's insane!_ Serena thought wildly, _I'm stuck here with a crazy person who wants to kill me!_

_*Lita Kino*_

~The Kitchen, Apartment 20A,Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo, Tokyo~

Lita glared at the Scouts.

"Well?" She growled, "do you want out? Because if so, I'm no longer part of the team. You can defeat the Nega-Verse on your own." The Scouts didn't move, obviously because they didn't want to. "Fine," Lita said, feeling disappointed. What great friends. "Fine. I'd say good luck, but, well, Mama always told me not to lie.

"JUPITER STAR POWER!" Sailor Jupiter glared at her once-time friends, before running off to try and help Sere-chan.

_*Serena Warren*_

~The Shadow Realm, Nothingness~

"Look," Serena said nervously, "you don't want to kill me. Really you don't," at the evil woman's glare she hurriedly continued, "and even if you do, can't we talk about it over coffee or something? I know this really great place…"

"SILENCE!" The evil Shadowmancer roared, "I've got to concentrate!"

"Sorry for breathing." Serena muttered, trying to think of a way to reach her transformation brooch while tied up like this. She wriggled her arms, and was delighted to discover her left one wasn't done up _quite_ as tightly as her right. She wiggled again, and gulped back her cry of triumph when her arm was freed.

"Not happening Princess." A voice sneered, and a rather handsome man with dark hair, skin, and eyes walked out of the shadows. Another bloody 'mancer. This one, however, knew how to tie ropes, and soon Serena was fully bound again. "Shoulda known better than to leave this job to Melanie. Time to make sure you die, and then the Moon will be Out forever!"

"Forever is a long time for mortals to go without the Light of the Moon!" Sailor Jupiter's comforting voice said, "I am Sailor Jupiter, defender of love and justice. In the name of Jupiter-"

"And in the name of Neptune," Serena looked up, startled to see Sailor Neptune there. But if _that_ surprised her, it was nothing to how she felt when she saw the other rebellious Scouts.

"In the name of Uranus,"

"In the name of Pluto,"

"In the name of Venus,"

"And of Mars,"

"We will punish you!"

"Don't forget us! Sailor Mercury, Sailor Saturn and Sailor Chibi Moon at your service!" A young voice cried, and Serena turned around to see Sailor Chibi Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Saturn. The Scouts leapt down from the various places they'd been hiding, and began their various attacks.

"_Mars Celestial Fire Surround!_" Mars, looking heavenly beautiful to Serena just then, (as she always did during that particular attack…not that she wasn't pretty all the time,) shot fire at Serena's ropes, which quickly shrivelled away from the light source. Serena rubbed her wrists in relief, and transformed.

"_Moon Gorgeous Meditation!_" She cried, shattering two 'mancers in one go when they both leapt at her.

"You leave my mummy alone!" Sailor Chibi Moon said. Serena flushed, pleased by the pink-haired girl's comment. She was being accepted at last.


	18. Ch 17: Weelcome to Reality

**Title:**  Welcome To Reality

**Chapter Title:** Welcome to Reality.

**Summary:** Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

**Author:** Silver Sparklze

**Reason For Writing:** This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

**Author's Notes:** Back to just thee one POV again. I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in **bold** will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~The Kitchen, Apartment 20A,Ryoori Gakkou Apartoo, Tokyo~__

Lita placed another blanket over Serena's shoulders, much to the blonde's amusement, though she welcomed it. Her short stay in the Realm of Shadows seemed to have caused a strange chill to seep into her bones. Darien had arrived only seconds after the Scouts defeated the Shadowmancers. He'd stayed close to Serena's side ever since.

"Want some hot-chocolate, Sere-chan?" She asked, just as the doorbell rang. Lita hurried to answer it. Moments later to came back in, Helios beside her.

"Are you well, Your Highness?" Helios asked anxiously. Serena rolled her eyes. She wasn't used to so much concern over her well-being. Mind you, since she'd arrived in Japan she seemed to attract trouble.

"Quite well, thank you Hel-chan." She giggled. "And yourself?" The blonde-haired Guardian of Dreams looked horribly confused, and Serena giggled again. It was nice to be able to laugh.

"Enough," Amara said, obviously not liking the meaningless banter. "What is this story of yours we've all been waiting so anxiously to hear?" In response, Serena's stomach growled loudly. Serena blushed from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair.

"Looks like you're not so different from Sere-ko after all." Mina said softly, sending Serena a warm smile for the first time since the two had met. Serena smiled back.

"Before I tell my story," she said, "I want to hear yours. What changed your minds towards me? Surely it wasn't the fact that I was in mortal peril. Because…been there, done that, silently begged you for help while you stood there and watched." She was deliberately flippant, wanting to disguise the hurt she'd felt at their actions.

"Lita gave us a good talking too, actually," Trista said. "She put into words what we should have known, but didn't, and made us see what we were doing. I, for one, am sorry. I beg your forgiveness, Princess."

"As do I." Amara agreed.

"Me too." Rei said.

"And me." Obviously Mina didn't want to be left out.

"What you did…it hurt." Serena said finally. "I can't forgive you…not yet. I hope I can one day, though. Until then…we can't be friends, because I don't trust you, but perhaps we can also not be enemies?" Serena smiled tentatively.

The renegade Scouts shared a look.

"Agreed." Amara said, speaking for them all.

"Now tell us your story already!" Rini urged, squirming in her seat. Serena laughed, and huddled further into her cocoon of woollen blankets, enjoying the feel of Darien's arms wrapped around her.

"Ok," she laughed. "I never had a mom and dad," she began, "I was abandoned on the doorstep of the Planet Orphanage, in New York, so called because it was endorsed by the Museum of Intergalactic Phenomena. I used to go there all the time when I was little; it was like magic to me, to see the planets through the big telescope, nestled among the stars. To be able to point out Venus, Mars, Neptune and the other planets was my favourite pass-time, and my greatest joy. 

"I made up stories about my parents, who were exploring astronauts, fighting evil on every planet; unable to give me the safe care they wished. That was why they abandoned me," I told myself, "because they didn't want me to get hurt on one of their adventures. One of the other girls at the orphanage found me there one day, and laughed outright at my childishness. She told me there was no such thing as magic, or aliens from other planets. 'And your parents abandoned you because they didn't want you,' she mocked, 'no wonder, really.' I never got over that. It hurt more than anything.

"I stopped dreaming after that. I decided I wanted to become an astronaut, and to explore all the galaxies in the universe, and prove the girl wrong. It was around that time – I was four – that I started school. It was decided that I would skip a grade, and I did so. After that I was moved into the Galaxy Dorm, where I met my four closest friends in the whole world, Amelia Mickel, Rochelle Harvey, Louisa Kiki, and Matty Atkinson.

"The dreams didn't start until two weeks before my 13th birthday. Always, they were the same. Night after night I dreamt of the Moon Princess Serenity dying with her love, the Prince of Earth, Prince Darien. I always woke up as Princess Serenity died, screaming.

"It actually annoyed my friends a bit, because whenever I had a dream, they were inevitably woken up as well.

"On my 13th birthday, however, things changed. And not for the better. I began dreaming of another girl's life, a girl who shared my name and looks. Serena Tsukino.

"Dreaming of her first encounter with the Nega-Verse was…terrifying, at best," Serena admitted. "I was scared, even in my dreams, and when I woke up, I not only had to deal with Sere-ko's fright, but my own. I was convinced I was going mad. I think from the first I knew Darien-chan was not who he appeared to be. Likewise, I recognised Ami-san, Rei-san, Lita-chan, and Mina-san. You were all so familiar. You wouldn't believe how similar you look to Mia, Matty, Lou and Rochelle. Actually, I have pictures," Serena fumbled for her purse, and found the small snapshot of them all on photo day at the orphanage. She smiled fondly. They all looked so happy. How she missed them.

"Wow," Rini said, "you guys really do look like them." The four Inner Scouts nodded, murmuring their amazement.

"They're the best friends anyone could have. Especially Matty." Serena murmured. "But I'll get to that later. Every night, and sometimes during the day, I dreamt of Serena, and Sailor Moon. As I met each of you, you reminded me of your American counterparts, my best friends. Actually, I even knew a girl like Molly. Her name's Natasha Trix. I haven't spoken to her in a long time; she was adopted, and moved to Jamaica. I'm rather glad actually, she was the biggest klutz, always hurting herself."

The Inners giggled among themselves, and the Outers smiled, acknowledging that Molly was also good at getting herself into trouble. "Anyway. I followed your lives in my dreams, and they became so real to me I couldn't remember where I was half the time, and who I was. Eventually, I became rather sick, since I wasn't getting any rest in my dreams, and I couldn't eat because Sere-ko ate too much for me to even think about food.

"When I noticed how thin I was getting – and it took a while, I am rather dense – I decided to look some things up on the Internet. So I went to one of the many net-cafes in the area, and the closest one to the orphanage, since I didn't feel like walking far, and payed for an hour. 

"I searched the web, but couldn't find anything on my Moon Princess. Then I thought about chatting to people. Often, they know more than websites, and just can't be bothered broadcasting their knowledge. It was there that I met MilleniumFire for the first time." Serena noticed Rei's indrawn breath, and smiled. "I thought it was you, Rei-san," she said, "some of the similarities were just too alarming. It was you who convinced me to search further, actually. It turned out all I needed to know could be found in the orphanage library, which I find rather amusing in retrospect.

"After I first met Rei-san, I met Marnie. She's a waitress at the net-café, uses all her wages to support her daughter, a heavenly little girl named Celina. Actually, we became really close. She's like a mom to me now. She calls me Rini." Rini gasped. "Yeah. Seems like even my 'mom' wanted this to happen. It's like destiny." Serena giggled, then sobered. "Things became more difficult after that. The dreams were getting even worse, and though I tried my hardest, I simply couldn't work up any energy to do _anything_. Imagine my surprise when I found out Sere-ko was the Moon Princess!" Serena couldn't help but laugh when she remembered her shock, but also her satisfaction. "I kept up with my studies, though," she continued at random, "never forgetting my vow. Guess I won't be an astronaut anymore, but at least I've proved 'aliens' exist.

"It was Matty who became my saviour. She was my – and I'm gonna sound really pathetic here – guiding star. She told me she knew something was wrong, and got me to talk. After that, I told her all about the dreams. I found them easier to bear. A problem shared is a problem halved and all of that." The Scouts frowned, trying to come to terms with what they were hearing, and in classic American babble. "But the final dram came all too soon. I dreamt of the battle with Queen Beryl, the final one. I saw you Inner Scouts die, one by one. I saw Darien die. And then, finally, Sere-ko died. That really scared me. When I woke up, Matty was right beside me. She gently comforted me in both Japanese and English – she did Japanese at school as her foreign language – and eventually managed to convince me that I was still alive.

"I had no more dreams 'til the night of my 15th birthday. Two years later. I was relieved, but it was the same old dream of the Moon Princess and her Prince. The next night, however, things changed. For the first time I dreamt I was in Selene's palace. Sere-ko was there, too. She spoke to me, told me she wanted to swap." Serena's eyes lowered. "I agreed. If I'd known what was to happen, I would have said no. Sere-ko died because of my decision. It was my fault!"

"No it wasn't, Sere-chan." Darien said softly, "Sere-ko was leaving anyway. She had to. Her parents were moving to America. You eased her worries, by taking on the responsibility she was never ready to handle. You helped her last days be the best of her life, by agreeing to take on the curst of being a Sailor Scout."

"Darien-kun is right, Serena-san." Amara said, in a gentle voice quite unlike her usual rough tones. "Sere-ko would have wanted this. To see you living up to the legacy she left behind."

"Thank you. It's nice you hear you say it." Serena grinned. "I must admit; it was a bit of a shock. Even more than that, was what Sere-ko said right before I woke up. 'See you in a few days' she said. Brazen as anything.

"So you can imagine my shock when my High School principal, Miss Jenkins, told me the very next day, at graduation, that I had been offered a scholarship at a Japanese school. I knew I had to go…so I did. At the airport I met up with Sere-ko for a few moments, and saw her for the first time. It was amazing. We were so alike…I felt like I was looking into a mirror, but my reflection had gone and changed clothes on me. She gave me a bag full of all the things I would need as Sailor Moon, and I can't help but say, I didn't realise what was happening then. It wasn't until almost a week later that I finally looked into the bag, and…I'm not sure remembered is the right term…everything that had happened since that first big battle. 

"I remembered Alan and Ann, I remembered Rubeus and the sisters, I remembered the Wise Man. I remembered the Heart Snatchers, and the Dream Snatchers, and everything else. It was…just stupefying.

"My first battle as Sailor Moon is something I'll always remember, even if you guys didn't know who I was. My first meeting with Selene, Hecate, and Phoebe is also one of my more cherished memories, as is all the time I've spent with you guys. For the most part, you've been loyal friends, and I thank you for it."

"Aw," a voice sneered, "innit sweet? Doncha think 's sweet, boys?" Serena turned around in horror, to see Invisible-Man (well, not actually see him, but whatever) and a bunch of his minions.

"Not you again." She groaned.

"Yup. 'S me, pet. Why don' ya 'troduce me to yer friends?"

"Sere-chan?" Lita asked nervously. Serena didn't answer, simply taking out her transformation brooch.

"ETERNAL MOON POWER!" The other Scouts followed her actions, and it became clear that the henchmen and Invisible-Man (who had finally become visible) didn't like the new odds. "I think it's time for a wake-up call," Sailor Moon growled, as Helios turned into Pegasus with a whinny. "I am not your pet. I'm not your luv. Nor am I your poppet. And by the time I'm through with you, you'll never call anyone by those names again." She brought out her Kaleid Moon Scope, and twirled it expertly. "_Moon Goddess Heart Ache! Selene's Silent Anguish! Moon Gorgeous Meditation! Planet Pyro Shower!_" Thee other Scouts took care of the henchmen, as Serena fired every bit of magic she could think of at her own personal evil. Finally, Serena closed her eyes.

A strange music surrounded her, and she seemed to glow with an intense white light. Her **fuku** changed itself into the dress of Princess Serenity, and when Sailor Moon/Serena opened her eyes they were pupil-less. The Kaleid Moon Scope changed, becoming a sword encased in pink metal, pink jewels travelling down the end. Its blade was curved, like a scimitar, and even that metal was pink. "What made you think you could ever win?" Princess Serenity asked, holding the sword over the Invisible-Man's chest. She knew that this time, he would die. "_Princess Moon Kiss._" She sighed, plunging the sword in.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Invisible-Man howled. A large wind blew up, whipping Princess Serenity's hair around her as she stood over her dead nemesis' body, emotionless. Slowly, the body crumbled to dust, and disappeared, along with the wind.

"Welcome to Reality, Invisible-Man." Princess Serenity mocked, before turning back into Serena with a flash of bright light, "you'll never win. Not so long as me at the rest of the Scouts are around."

*_Finite_*

**Fuku:** Uniform

**More Author's Notes:** Wow. I can't believe it's over…it's amazing. I really enjoyed doing this. It was so much fun.


End file.
